Old Friends and Hard Times
by Jayne Leigh
Summary: Azizi turned out to be a good guy and that first mission in Afghanistan was a success but Charles is still going through a difficult time and when he starts acting out of character, even Elvis is concerned. Will he able to get through to his friend? Will seeing some old faces help? C/M E/G
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! A new year, a new story! I have not given up on 'A Different Mission'…I've already started the next chapter but couldn't resisted writing this one! It's been a struggle what with work, Christmas, being ill….but I'm hoping to do better with writing and also reviewing the wonderful stories you all are posting!**

 **I was disappointed when Azizi turned out to be a bad guy…I think it must have been because it was so nice to see another character from s1 so decided to write my own version. I hope you like…Just a warning, this is a pretty angst-y story!**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times**

Captain Charles James studied his section from far enough away that they didn't realize he was there. They were playing cards and fooling around; normally he would have gone over and shared some banter with them before lightly reminding them they were there to work and not to let their joking around get too out of hand but tonight he wanted to keep his distant.

He had just got off the phone with his CO, who had congratulated him for a job well done. The joint mission with Special Forces had been a success and now they were waiting for their orders to where to go next…Back to Nepal to finish what they had started or if they were going to head back home early.

He knew he should be happy…No one had been hurt and everyone was pleased with the outcome. He knew his CO would be pushing for him to go for promotion again but there was something stopping him. He wasn't sure if being in the army and going on tour after tour was what he wanted to do anymore. The problem was, he didn't know what else he could do…The army was all he knew. It was the first only thing he was good at. For the first ever in his life, he felt trapped and he just couldn't figure out what to do about it.

"Captain James?"

He turned at the sound of his name being called and saw Azizi heading in his direction. He had known the other captain for years now and trusted him just as much as, if not more than the soldiers in his own platoon. When Richards had reported that she thought she saw him interacting with the man on the moped, he had dismissed any ideas of Azizi being a traitor. He could see even Elvis had a few doubts but Charles had known the Afghan Captain a long time so put his trust in his best mates judgement.

Then minutes before they were about to take the building, Azizi admitted to Charles, he had known the man. Charles felt sick; wondering whether he had just led his section to their deaths but then Azizi claimed the man was an informant and had been in touch with an update saying the men they were after knew they were coming. It meant that they had to quickly come up with a new plan of action which made the mission a success. Having the trust of the ANA men was one of the things his CO had praised him for ….Even Elvis had been impressed with how well everything had gone despite the last minute change of plans.

"I'm sorry to disturb you…" Azizi said when he reached him.

"Not at all…" Charles assured him. "Is everything okay?"

"We have more Intel about children from interviewing the men we captured." Azizi told him. "We believe they're being held in a compound about 15 miles from here... We believe they are to be trafficked soon so we must move quickly...The girl you're looking for from Nepal might be there, I thought you might like to know."

"When are you heading out?" Charles questioned.

"At 400 hours… before sunrise."

"Let me speak to some people back home…I'd like section 2 to help support."

"Are you sure? I wasn't expecting you to stay much longer…"

"I want to help." Charles assured him. "I need to feel like we're doing something meaningful here…"

Azizi frowned a little. "Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know…" Charles let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulders. "This is my fifth tour here and after all these years…all the lives that have been lost…Has us being here made any difference? Don't you ever get sick of it?"

"Sometimes, yes…" Azizi admitted with a slight nod. "I get tired of the evil that has spread across my country and when the Taliban offer us money… I wonder whether it would be an easier life….but then I remember how things used to be and all my friends who have fought to get our country back….I don't know if it'll happen but I have hope….and I'd rather die trying then sit back and watch it be destroyed completely."

Charles looked down, feeling ashamed…At least he got to go home at the end of tour…This was Azizi's home…his life.

"I've seen a lot of people pass through here…Afghans…British…Americans…all different people, some I liked…some I didn't." Azizi continued and placed a hand on Charles' shoulder. "But you…you, I consider a friend…You might feel like you haven't made a difference out here but you made a friend!"

Charles took a deep shaky breath and mentally told himself to pull himself together. He was there to do a job, not feel sorry for himself.

"I'm sorry…" He gave Azizi a small smile. "I guess I've been on tour for too long…"

"You'll soon be back home with your family." Azizi patted his shoulder once more.

Charles' smile filtered slightly before he forced a bigger one on his face and hoped Azizi didn't realize it was fake.

"I better get a start on those phone calls then."

Azizi smiled. "Thank you, my friend."

After spending an hour on the phone with his CO discussing the mission, Charles was given the go ahead. Preparing for another mission gave him a buzz which reminded him there was no other job out there that would make him feel like this.

"I'll get 2 Section together so we can brief them…" Charles said to Azizi as they made their way across the compound.

"Boss?"

They stopped and turned as Lane and Richards jogged towards them.

"Everything okay?" Charles asked.

"We want to know what's going on…." Richards said. "We want to go look for Tara…"

Charles raised an eyebrow. "Look for her where?"

"I dunno…but we gotta do something." Maisy shrugged. "We could ask around…"

"For god sake, Richards …We're in Afghanistan not some cosy country village!" Charles rolled his eyes. "You cannot just stroll around asking questions…"

"But we came here to find…"

"We came here to follow orders." Charles cut in.

"Come on, boss…how would you feel if it was your kid wondering around out there somewhere?" Georgie questioned but immediately regretted it when she saw the look that crossed Charles' face.

"Remind me, who is the Captain here?" He folded his arms and stared down at the two of them.

"You are, Sir…" They both said together.

"Exactly, it's my job to make sure we follow the orders we are given and make sure everyone is kept safe." He told them. "Your job is to follow orders given to you…not get emotionally involved every bloody time…If you go out there looking for an individual child who might not even be in this country, then you're not only putting yourselves at risks but also the rest of your section."

He noticed Maisy's mouth opened to say something but it closed again after he glared at her and also a subtle nudge from Georgie. For once, the private stayed silent.

"I want everyone in the Ops tent in 10 minutes…." He told them.

"Are we going back to Nepal, boss?" Georgie questioned.

"No, we're finishing what we've started here first." He answered. "But believe me, if either of you attempt to go off on your own crusade I will be putting you on a flight back home quicker than you can say dishonourable discharge…I need soldiers I can trust…Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Captain." Richards replied, standing up straighter.

"Yes, sir." Georgie nodded.

"Good….Go round everyone up." He nodded his head in the direction where the rest of the section was still noisily playing cards before stalking off towards the Ops tent.

"You know when you first arrived here and you were treating one of my men…" Azizi started, gaining their attention from watching their Captain disappearing from view. "Captain James told me to trust you…he said we could learn from you…he had faith in you…showed you loyalty….Maybe you should have some faith and loyalty in him too, hm?"

He didn't wait for either of them to reply, instead walked off in the direction Charles had just gone.

"Well, that told us, didn't it?" Georgie let out a loud sigh.

"What the hell? All we were doing was asking about Tara…" Maisy threw up her hands. "I've done a lot worse than that in the past… I even crashed a jeep into a Major's quarters once… Why do I feel so bad?"

"I dunno…I suppose it's like when your parents say they're not mad but disappointed in ya…" Georgie shrugged. "Come on, we better get everyone together…Don't think the boss will be too happy if we're late."

They walked in silence for a few moments before Georgie looked across to Maisy. "Did you really crash into a Major's quarters?"

"Yeah but at least I won the race." Maisy answered before skipping ahead to catch up with Rab and Monk.

 _ **XxXxX**_

"Does anyone have any questions?" Charles asked once he had finished briefing on the new mission.

"No, sir…"

"Right, well make sure you hydrate tonight…We're leaving at 400 hours so I want you all to get some sleep." He ordered. "Dismissed."

Hearing that they were in fact going out to try and rescue children from a trafficking ring made Georgie feel incredibly guilty for questioning her captain. Azizi's words bounced around her head; she should have had more faith in him or at least respected him enough to talk to him properly about it instead of ambushing him with Richards.

She watched him for a moment as he studied a map and couldn't help but feel there was something different about him. He had been a lot more distant during this tour, even the lads had noticed and most of the time they didn't even realized their shoe laces were undone. She hesitated for a moment but decided against speaking with him…Maybe after the mission she would but right now she knew they all needed to focus on their orders.

"So, I guess we might find your Nepal girl after all…"

A voice startled her as she left the Ops tent and turned to see Elvis.

"There's no guarantees she's there but hopefully…" Georgie answered, smiling briefly.

Despite everything that had happened in the past, she still felt something whenever she was near him but like she had told him earlier that day; loving him was never the problem.

"What's wrong?" Elvis frowned a little.

"Nothing…"

"Georgie…"

She sighed and grimaced slightly. "I think I pissed off the boss."

Elvis' eyebrows rose at her answer before grinning widely. "Oh dear…."

"Shut up, I'm being serious…."

"I'm sure he's already over it…"

"He pulled rank… lectured Richards and me on following his orders and reminded us he's the captain…" Georgie told him. "Then Captain Azizi told us we should be more loyal to him…which of course we should have because he was already planning on acting on information about Tara's location…"

"What did you say to him?" Elvis questioned, curiously.

He knew Charles had a lot of respect for Georgie and valued her opinion. He often wondered whether that was because of her army experience, because she was good friends with Molly and used to be engaged to him or because he still felt guilty about being the one who broke the news about there not being a wedding….knowing Charlie, it was probably a mixture of all.

"Richards wanted to go and ask around to get information about Tara…."

Elvis couldn't help but laugh. "Who was she gonna ask?"

"Alright, the boss has already stomped on that plan." Georgie rolled her eyes. "I could tell he was getting a little annoyed with her for keep going on but then I asked him how he would feel if it was his kid…. I think I hit a nerve."

"He's probably missing home…" Elvis replied. "Sam's birthday is in a couple of weeks…he's probably worried he's gonna miss it."

Georgie paused for a moment; glancing back towards the Ops tent to make sure her captain was still inside. "Do you think he's okay?"

"Why wouldn't he be?"

"I don't know…He seems different somehow…"

"Georgie, you were on that mission with us, right? Charlie was on top form… Wouldn't surprise me if he was rewarded for it…also you guys might wanna start getting used to the idea of having a new captain…."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, you must realize he's overdue a promotion…" Elvis stated. "He's whole life, all he wanted was to be in the army…He's not gonna settle for just being a captain, is he?"

"I guess I never thought about it…" Georgie folded her arms; she had originally been hesitant about being a part of a section led by her ex-fiancée's best friend but she had to admit, Charles had been a good captain to her.

"Listen; don't worry about anything other than the mission." Elvis advised. "If you're still concerned about him once we're back, then I'll speak to him for you."

"Okay, I guess you're right…" She sighed. "So, are you lot coming with us tomorrow?"

"Only as extra support…It's Charlie's show."

"Well, don't go doing any heroics…"

"Shouldn't I be warning you of that?" Elvis grinned.

"I think I might take Captain James' advice and keep my head down on this one…" She replied. "Anyway, I better get some sleep…Goodnight…."

"Georgie, wait…" He jogged a little so he was in front of her. "Can't we talk some more…"

"Elvis…" She sighed tiredly.

"Come on, please…"

"Look, when we're back home, maybe we can meet for coffee or something and talk about this properly…." Georgie suggested. "But you were right….I should be focusing on the mission."

"You promise?" He asked. "You promise you'll meet me?"

There a big part of her braining screaming at her not to get involved with him again but her heart was louder.

"Yes, I promise."

"I'm holding you to that…." He told her. "Even if I have to climb through your bedroom window on a Sunday morning with a flask…I'm having that coffee with you…"

Despite herself, Georgie couldn't help but laugh lightly. "I'm sure that'll go down well with my family."

"You better make sure you meet me then…" He smirked as he begun to walk backwards away from her.

 _ **XxXxX**_

"What if she's not there?"

Georgie glanced across to Maisy as they sat in the trucks on the way to the location where they believed the children were being held.

"I don't know…I guess we just hope she answers the phone eventually."

"But…"

"Is there a problem, Medic?" Charles questioned when he noticed Lane and Richards whispering.

Georgie shot Maisy a glare before looking towards her captain. "No, Sir…"

"Good." He gave them both a warning look before turning his attention to everyone in the truck. "Right, we're 10 minutes out...The ANA will go in first and we will support in securing the building…I want you all to remember that there is likely to be children inside…Lane, I want you to assist the ANA medics in checking over any kids…make sure none of them need urgent medical treatment before we transport them back to base."

"Yes, boss…" Georgie nodded.

"Right…Stay focus, stay alert and stay alive."

Charles wasn't sure what he expected when they reached the building but first he felt a bit of relief when they realized the building had been abandoned by the men behind the trafficking ring. They must have heard about the captures that were made the previous day and decided to flee. His relief was short lived when he entered to see children of all ages crammed into small rooms.

"How are things going?" Charles asked Azizi quietly, watching Brains carry out a little boy who looked about Sam's age.

"They're scared…thirsty, hungry…" Azizi told him. "But most of the rooms have been cleared now…"

"What's going to happen to them?"

"We'll get them back to the base and checked over at the hospital then if we cannot find their families they will go to the orphanage…"

Charles blew out a long breath. "They're just kids…"

"They'll be better there then here."

"Uh, Bossman?"

"Excuse me." Charles said to the other captain when he heard Monk calling for him.

He walked down the corridor and when he entered the room, he saw Monk, Rab and Fingers staring down at the floor.

"What is it?" He asked, moving towards them and as he stepped over a broken chair, he saw what they were all looking at.

A baby was led on the floor, she was naked and filthy but what Charles mostly noticed was how tiny she was and would guess she was a new-born if her eyes weren't so alert staring back up at them.

"What do we do, boss?" Rab looked at him.

"Well, we can't just leave her here…"

"Hey, I don't do babies…" Monk claimed, holding up both his hands and taking a step backwards.

Charles rolled his eyes before scooping down and lifting her into his arms. She felt weightless and hardly stirred at being moved. For a moment, he got lost in her eyes as he tried to imagine a future for her that wasn't surrounded by poverty and violence. It didn't seem fair; she hadn't asked to be brought into this world.

"At least she's not crying…" Fingers commented. "I reckon, she likes you, boss."

"She's not crying because she's dehydrated, malnourished and probably a bunch of other things too." Charles stated before turning away. "She needs to be checked over…I'll take her out to Lane…you lot carry on searching the building…We think we've got everyone out now."

"Yes, boss…"

Charles carefully carried her outside and immediately saw Georgie bending down talking to a couple of young boys, no older than 9 or 10.

"Lane?" He called out as he stepped out of the building.

She patted the boys on their shoulders before pushing herself to stand up straight. "Everything okay, boss?"

"We found a baby …" He informed her. "She can't be very old…She weighs practically nothing and isn't very responsive."

"Okay, let me have a look…" She held her arms out to take the baby but was surprised that her captain seemed reluctant to hand her over. "Boss?"

He mentally shook himself before carefully handing her to Georgie. "Do you think she'll be okay?"

"It's difficult to know until they run tests back at the hospital but hopefully after a good feed and somewhere dry and quiet to sleep, she'll be fine." She smiled up at him. "One of the trucks is leaving in a minute to start transporting some of the kids back…I'll make sure she's on there."

"Okay, good…"

"She's beautiful, though..." Georgie grinned widely as she turned her attention back to the baby. "God, look at those eyes."

When Charles didn't reply, she glanced up to see him frowning in concern. "Boss, you okay?"

Again, her voice seemed to snap him out of whatever he was thinking of. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Georgie! Georgie!"

They both turned to see Maisy running towards them and their panic faded when they saw she had a huge smile on her face.

"Oh, sorry, Sir…" She slowed down when she noticed her captain.

"Is everything okay, Richards?"

Maisy wasn't sure what to say…He ordered them not to get involved with searching for Tara and the last thing she wanted to do was say the wrong thing.

"Well?" He prompted.

"Everything is fine, boss…" She glanced at Georgie, unsurely. "I just wanted a word with Lane."

"Did you find her?" Charles guessed what was going on.

"Uh…Yes, boss…" Maisy couldn't help but smile. "Tara is here...they promised to take her to the UK but she ended up here."

Georgie sighed in relief. "Thank god we found her."

"Good, I'm glad she's safe now." Charles told her causing Maisy to look at him in surprise.

"I thought you didn't want…"

"What? Because I wouldn't allow you to wonder around Afghanistan asking people if they've seen her…you thought I didn't care what happened to her?"

"No, sir…not at all." Maisy cut in quickly. "Just, I didn't think you'd be happy about me getting involved with her."

"Just make sure you do your bloody job and don't spend all your time with her."

"Yes, boss!"

"Right, Lane…there's shouldn't be many more kids left to check over now…" Charles stated, watching Fingers and Monk leaving the building alone. "We need to start getting everyone back to base."

"Yes, boss…I'll sort this little one out and then I'll be right with you."

"Captain James?" Azizi joined him as Lane disappeared. "The building is empty."

"Okay, good…" Charles looked around and noticed most of his section were talking or playing around with the kids; it looked like even Elvis was playing peekaboo with a toddler. "Are there any in a serious condition?"

"We thing most of them are dehydrated…" Azizi informed him. "Some of the older children have injuries that suggested they have been beaten…"

Charles' sighed quietly; he didn't understand how someone could treat children like that.

"Oh shit!" They heard Fingers exclaimed. "Captain James?"

Charles' eyes widened when he saw what Fingers had spotted. A young boy walked around the corner of the building and he had the same look of fear on his face as the rest of the children there but what was different was the explosive belt that was wrapped around his waist.

Suddenly everything changed; everyone backed away from the boy, guns were drawn and orders were being shouted at him.

"You're gonna scare him…" Charles found himself saying quietly.

"James?" Azizi looked at him questionably.

"They're going to scare him." He stated again before turning and facing his section. "Everyone get back…and get the kids as far away as possible…"

"Spanner, call in for bomb disposal!" Elvis ordered.

"What's going on?" Georgie questioned after running back from the truck.

"Kid with a suicide vest…" Elvis told her.

"Oh shit…"

"It'll be okay…but you should stay back…"

"No, Elvis…look!"

Elvis spun back around and felt fear wash over him. "Charlie, what the fuck are you doing?!"

His best mate… the sensible one…the one that did everything by the book was not only taking steps towards the target but had also removed his helmet and protective vest.

"He needs to stay calm…" Charles paused only to look back at his friend. "Don't come any closer, Elvis…"

"Charlie, don't be a bloody idiot!"

"Just keep everyone back and get bomb disposal here!"

Charles felt a little guilty as he took another step closer to the boy…He know what his friend must be feeling…He still has nightmares about Molly doing the exact same thing with Bashira but there was no way he was going to stand back and watch this kid blow himself up.

"Hi…I'm Charles…" He gently said when he almost reached the boy. "Do you understand me?"

The boy just nodded.

"Okay good….What's your name?"

"Zemar." He whispered so quietly that Charles almost missed it.

Charles took a final step so he was right in front of him. "I'm going to help you, okay, Zemar?"

 **TBC**

 **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi all, thank you all so much for the reviews! I'm glad you like the first chapter. I'd just like to say, I have very little knowledge of how things in the army are done and zero knowledge on bombs/devices but hopefully this is a little believable and that you enjoy it! Please review and let me know!**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times**

"I need you to stay still, Zemar…" Charles told the boy gently and slowly lowered himself to his knees so they were at a similar eye level. "Do you understand?"

Zemar shot a nervous look at the rest of the soldiers stood back with their guns drawn before looking back to Charles and gave a hesitant nod.

"Don't worry about them…They are going to help us but they won't do anything until I tell them…" Charles tried to reassure him.

"You boss?"

"Yep, I'm a captain…And the only reason we've come here is to help you."

"The bad men will get angry…" Zemar said in concern.

"They won't be able to hurt you anymore…." Charles started. "We're going to take you somewhere safe."

"They wanted me to kill you…they want me dead." The little boy looked sadly down to the ground.

"That's not going to happen, okay? There are some more soldiers on the way and they are going to take this vest off you then you'll be safe…"

Zemar looked up at him again. "Promise?"

"I promise..." Charles replied without hesitation. "And I'm going to stay with you the whole time."

He thought back to when Molly was in this position with Bashira and wondered whether she felt the same as he did now…He knew that there were two possible endings….One, they got the vest off and everyone was safe or two, they didn't get the belt off and it explodes, killing them both right out. The one thing he knew for certain…he wasn't going to leave Zemar, no matter what the outcome….and that knowledge alone made him feel incredibly guilty for choosing a plan that could result in tearing his family apart and scarring his section for life but there was no chance he was walking away.

"How old are you, Zemar?"

"Ata…" Zemar replied in Pashto.

Over his previous four tours, Charles had picked up quite a bit of the Afghan language and couldn't help taking in a shaky breath when he answered he was the same age as Sam.

"My son is 8…" Charles told him, remembering how Molly had connected with Bashira by talking about her younger sister.

"Where is he?"

"He's at home with his mum, in the UK…."

"Do you not want him with you?"

"I do but doing this job means sometimes I have to come to places like here…and he needs to stay at home and go to school."

"Does he like school?"

Charles couldn't help but smile at the thought of his son. "He does….although he hates maths…"

"I am not allowed to go to school…" Zemar said sadly, looking down at the ground.

Charles frowned a little; thinking about his 4th tour and how the main objective was to make sure both the boys and girls were able to return to school but here was a kid, the same age as his son, three years later being denied an education which should be a right, not a privilege. Azizi had tried to reassure him that they had made a difference with this war…that he had made a difference…but it didn't feel like it…He felt like he was back at square one.

"Charlie?"

Charles glanced back when he heard Elvis call his name before turning back to Zemar and carefully placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm just going to talk to my friend for a minute…"

"You promised you wouldn't leave…" Panic crossed the little boy's face.

"I'm not going anywhere…I'll be right here." Charles insisted. "I just need an update on what's going on, okay?"

Zemar hesitated for a moment but eventually gave a small nod and Charles squeezed his shoulder lightly before turning to face Elvis. The whole of 2 section plus Spanner, Peanut and Elvis were stood watching, their guns all aimed in the direction of him and Zemar. He wondered what horrors the little boy had already seen to not be completely terrified being faced with that.

"What's going on?" Charles called over to them.

"I ain't going to shout out to you, am I?" Elvis replied. "Come here…"

Charles resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew that not only would he lose all of Zemar's trust if he walked away but Elvis would pin him down to stop him returning. Instead he shifted his gaze away from his best friend.

"Spanner, what's the ETA of bomb disposal?" He questioned.

Spanner shot Elvis a look, having guessed what his boss' plan was but knew he could not ignore the question.

"There's a problem…It's going to be another 20 minutes before they can get here…" Spanner answered.

"Timer…"

Charles looked back to Zemar when he spoke. "What?"

"There's a timer…That's what the men said…"

Charles cursed himself for not checking the bomb out more thoroughly. He gently moved Zemar's arms up, examining both sides before slowly moving around to the back where he spotted the timer. He sucked in a breath seeing there was only 14 minutes remaining.

"Spanner, I need you to get back on the phone and tell them we don't have 20 minutes…The bomb is on a timer."

"I'll try, Sir but they said there's a sandstorm stopping a chopper taking off…" Spanner advised.

"Is this what Deja vu feels like?" Fingers commented to Brains.

"What?" Georgie questioned

"This is insane…" Brains ignored her. "He's going to get himself killed..."

"Elvis, we need to do something…" Georgie hissed to him.

"Charlie, you need to come back now…" Elvis stated. "We need to decide on another plan."

He gave Elvis a small shake of the head before turning back to Zemar.

"Do you need to go?" The little boy asked sadly.

"No, I told you, I'm going to stay with you…" Charles said again. "But I need you to do exactly what I say… We're not sure if we're going to have enough time to wait for the experts to come and take the bomb off so we might have to try something else."

"Like what?"

"Don't worry about that just yet." Charles gave him a smile.

Charles turned once more, this time looking straight at Spanner for an update.

"Any news?"

"Sorry, Sir…they're going to make their way here by road but it's going to take a while…"

"We don't have time for that…" Charles called back.

"Am I in trouble?" Zemar asked.

"No, mate…" Charles told him. "It'll be alright…"

"Mate?" Zemar frowned in confusion causing Charles to laugh lightly.

"It's something what we brits call our friends…"

Charles started to examine the vest again; throughout his career he had come across similar devices and had had training what to do in this kind of situation but doing it in an training exercise and doing it for real when it was attached to a young child was a different ball game all together.

"Okay, you just need to stay still for just a little while longer…" Charles told him. "We're going to get that vest off and then you're going to be safe…"

"Okay…" Zemar replied although he looked more nervous than before.

"Elvis…" He started; knowing what he was going to say was not going to go down well with his best friend. "You need to get everyone to go further back and take cover…"

"Charlie…" Elvis tried to cut in to protest.

"The timer is going to run out before bomb disposal can get here…I will have to take the vest off myself." Charles continued. "There's no other choice but before I do, I need everyone else to be a safe distance away…So, get everyone back…including you and Lane."

Elvis glanced towards Georgie who was still right by his side. If there was anyone in the world who knew how he ticked then it was Charles…He knew the only reason his friend had mentioned Georgie was to remind him that she was there and that he needed to keep himself safe for her.

"Do you need anything?" Elvis hated he couldn't think of anything else to stop his friend from putting his life on the line.

"The devise and wires are a mess…It's too risky to try and disable it….I wouldn't know where to start." Charles replied. "I'm going to have to try and remove it without it going off…"

"Fuck…" Elvis muttered under his breath.

"Boss? The bomb disposal team are on their way but they still say it's going to be about 20 minutes…I told them it's on a timer but their advice is to clear the area and keep at least 100 meters away from the target." Spanner relayed to him. "What do you want us to do?"

Elvis knew there was no chance of getting Charles to back away from the kid and the soldier in him knew the only option was to make sure everyone else was safe.

"Alright everyone get back and take cover…Also, keep eyes on the area for anyone lurking about…" He ordered. "Medics, I want you all on standby and ready to go when I give the word…"

"Do you still think everything is okay with him?" Georgie asked him quietly.

"Go join your section…" Elvis nodded his head towards the others, watching until they were all in position. "Alright, Charlie…Everyone has moved back."

"You too."

"No fucking way." He replied. "This is as far back as I go…."

Elvis hated everything about this situation but could understand why Charles was doing what he was doing. Georgie might think this was acting out of character but she had only known him as her captain…This was the kind of thing he would have done when they first started out…before he had a section to look after and wife and child at home waiting for him.

"If I tell you to go, you go…" Charles compromised. "Don't hesitate or wait for me...you run."

"Fine, whatever…I promise."

Charles turned his attention back to Zemar; his heart was hammering in his chest and he had to silently remind himself to breathe.

"Okay, Zemar…I'm going to try and take the vest off of you." Charles told him. "Once it's off and I say go...I want you to run as fast as you can towards that man over there…his name is Elvis."

Zemar looked over Charles' shoulder. "Is he your friend?"

"He is…He's my best friend." Charles answered, moving carefully behind Zemar to check the timer….8 minutes and 50 seconds to go.

He traced a finger along the wires to work out where they were all connected. They all seemed to go around to the front of the vest but Charles was pleased that they ran around Zemar's waist. That meant, he could try and get the shoulder straps undone and have Zemar step out of it, rather than bring it over his head.

"I'm going to undo the straps first and then slowly lower it down to the ground…"

Charles examined the straps and thankfully, whoever had put the vest on must have been in a hurry because both were done up with a single knot. He quickly managed to get the left one undone; all the while keeping an eye on the devise for signs that something had changed.

"That's the first one done…" Charles took a deep breath. "Can you slowly reach up with your left hand and hold it in place?"

Zemar nodded and did as he was asked but stayed silent.

"That's great…" Charles only moved onto the right one when he was sure Zemar had a tight hold of the undone strap.

He felt himself holding his breath again as the knot fell away on the second one. He knew the next part was going to be hardest.

"Now you just need to stay still…I'm going to move it down low enough for you to step out of it…Once you've done that, we're going to move slowly away." Charles instructed him, taking hold of the left strap so he was the only thing holding the vest up. "But if I say go, remember to run to Elvis, okay?"

"Okay…"

Despite his best efforts to stay still, Charles could feel the little boy shaking and he just wished he had the right words to be able to reassure him.

"It's all going to be over really soon….I promise."

He slowly inched the vest down, making sure to keep eye contact with Zemar as he did. Once it was almost to the ground, without being asked, Zemar brought his left foot up and stepped out of it, placing his hands on Charles' shoulders to help steady himself.

"Good…" Charles praised him quietly, watching his foot reconnect with the ground. "We're almost done…"

Just when he begun to think they might actually manage to get away, the device started to beep, quickly.

"Go! Run!" Fortunately, Zemar's right foot was almost out and the second it touched the floor, he did as he was told.

Charles dropped the vest and pushed himself to stand up straight before following Zemar. He quickly caught up with the little boy and grabbed hold of him as he sprinted as fast as he could.

He recognized the look of panic on Elvis' face then everything seemed to slow down. He felt pressure and heat on his back before he actually heard the explosion. Then he was lifted off his feet, into the air and his last thought before crashing back down to the ground was to try and shield Zemar with his own body before he fell into a silent blackness….

 **TBC**

 **Oh, I do love a cliff-hanger….Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, thank you all for the reviews of the last chapter! Glad you liked it! Please keep them coming!**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times**

The ringing in his ears got louder and louder as he felt himself being turned onto his back. Elvis' concerned face appeared above him. He could see his friend's lips moving but couldn't make out what he was saying. Then suddenly all his senses came rushing back; he could smell the burning and smoke from the bomb…He could even taste it along with feeling like he had a bucket of sand and dust in his mouth. The ringing in his ears reduced and was replaced by the sound of Elvis screaming for a medic.

"I'm okay…" He managed to get out, causing him to cough.

"Fuck sake, mate…" Elvis started to pat down Charles' body, checking for injuries. "What the hell were you playing at?"

"I'm okay." Charles repeated, this time pushing himself to sit up.

"You could have got yourself killed…" Elvis continued.

"How you doing, Boss?" Georgie skidded to a halt beside them, dropping her med kit to the floor before kneeling down.

"I can hear and see him whining." Charles nodded his head in Elvis direction. "So, I guess I'm going to be okay."

Elvis scowled as Georgie grinned before peering into his eyes. "Any double vision?"

"No."

"Any pain anywhere?"

"Not really…" He answered, looking towards where a couple of Afghan medics were surrounding Zemar. "How is he?"

"Let's just worry about you first…" Elvis stated.

"Georgie, can you go and check on Zemar?"

She shared a look with Elvis before nodding. "Okay but I'll be right back…Just stay sat down and rest for a little while."

Charles took a couple of deep shaky breaths, closing his eyes and rolling his head side to side; trying to ease some of the tension.

"I feel like I should apologise…"

He reopened his eyes and looked at Elvis questionable. "For what?"

"All the dumb ass things I've done in the past which you had to stand by and watch…" Elvis replied. "It sucks being the sensible one!"

"I don't think anyone could ever describe you as the sensible one…" Charles replied. "But I'm sorry if I concerned you…I just felt like I didn't have a choice."

"You could have kept a safe distance back…that was a choice…You could have kept your protective gear on…that was another choice… You could have spoken to me and we could have worked out something together…"

"My god, do I sound this annoying after every stupid thing you do?" Charles cut in.

"How you feeling now, boss?" Georgie reappeared, immediately kneeling beside her Captain again.

"I've got a pain in my neck…"

"Really?" Georgie frowned in concern, reaching out to gently examine his neck.

"He's talkin about me." Elvis told her, rolling his eyes as he stood up and folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm okay, Georgie…Just a few cuts and bruises." He reassured his medic.

"Captain James, here…" Azizi approached them and handed Charles a bottle of water. "We're checking the area to make sure everything is clear and we're getting ready to start transporting everyone back to base…I'll stay behind with some of my men to make everything is secure but you and your section should head back."

. "Thanks, I appreciate that…" He didn't realize his hands were shaking until Georgie took the bottle off him to open it

"Anytime, my friend." Azizi patted his shoulder. "This is just like old time, hey?"

Charles gave him a small smile before taking back the water and taking a mouthful.

"How's Zemar?" He asked Georgie.

"He's okay…His arm might be broken but considering, he's lucky that's it." She answered. "You both are."

Charles glanced back to where the vest was still smouldering.

"Your lady luck looking down on you again, mate?" Elvis commented.

"I guess so…" Charles whispered.

"Okay, boss you've got a pretty nasty cut above your right eyebrow but I think it can wait until we're back at base so I'll just give it a quick clean and cover it for now." Georgie reached into her kit and pulled out a dressing. "I'll get some of the lads to help you up…"

"I don't need any help…" He insisted.

"Sir, you just got thrown through the air by a bomb…god knows how you managed to get away without losing a limb or serious injury but despite your insistence that you're fine, the very least you're going to be in shock…so, you are either going to let a couple of the lads help you to the truck so you don't face plant the ground the second you're on your feet or we're going to strap you to a stretcher." Georgie told him. "And I know you're the captain but I'm pulling rank as medic."

Charles looked from her to Elvis, surprised by her demand.

"Hey, don't look at me…" Elvis held his hands up. "I ain't arguing with her."

"Alright, fine…." Charles reluctantly agreed. "Elvis, can you check with Azizi, make sure he has everything he needs before we go."

He hesitated for a second before giving a small nod. "Sure."

"I can't believe you did that, boss…" Georgie stated as she started to wash the cut on his head.

"I just did what anyone else would have done…." Charles replied, wincing and resisted the urge to jerk his head away.

"Well, I don't think everyone would have done that…" Georgie claimed. "And if one of us would have done it then you would have put us on latrine clean for the foreseeable."

Charles thought back to Molly and Bashira; he knew that the rest of the section thought he took her aside for a ticking off after they had taken Bashira away but in actual fact he just wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let go. He knew he couldn't do that though and nor did he feel like he had it in him to give her a lecture, so instead he settled for asking her to wash out his eyes.

"Well, I hope none of you are ever in the position where you have to make the choice." He replied.

"You and me both, Boss." She leaned back after applying a dressing. "Right, I think that'll hold it until we're back at base."

"Thanks, Lane…" He started to push himself to his feet.

"Oh no, you don't…" Georgie put a hand on his shoulder to keep him sat down. She looked around and called over the two members of 2 Section closest to them. "Brains? Kingy?"

"You okay, Bossman?" Brains asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" He replied. "Lane thinks I need an escort…"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Just help him up and make sure he doesn't fall on his face on his way to the truck."

"I think you better listen to her, Boss." Kingy advised, holding out his hand.

"Whatever gets me out of here…" Charles muttered, gripping onto the sergeant's hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. He closed his eyes briefly when his legs felt a little shaky and after taking a deep breath, he reopened them to see Georgie watching him knowingly. "Not a word, Lane…"

"I'm saying nothing." She replied but couldn't help but smirking a little.

Charles spotted Zemar being carried off by one of the ANA medics, returning the smile and wave the little boy gave him.

"Come on, guys…let's get this over with." He placed a hand on Kingy's shoulder to steady himself and leaned some of on his weight onto the sergeant as they began to walk. Brains and Georgie stayed a couple of steps behind them just in case.

When they reached the truck, he found the rest of the section stood waiting.

"Boss? Are you hurt?" Rab asked.

"Just a pre-caution guys..." Georgie answered for him.

"That was awesome what you did, Boss." Maisy grinned.

"Yeah, it was like something out of James Bond." Monk added.

"Alright, let's not get carried away." He let go of Kingy to stand on his own, feeling stronger. "The ANA are finishing up here so we're going to head back to base."

"Don't worry, Bossman when we get back we'll give ya a Dawesy Special and you'll be as right as rain." Fingers announced.

Everyone stopped moving, fell silent and turned to stare at him.

"You want to rephrase that?" Charles questioned, with an eyebrow raised.

"What?" Fingers looked confused for a few seconds before his eyes widened when he realized what he had said. "No! I meant a cuppa with lots of sugar!"

"Get on the truck!" Kingy rolled his eyes.

"Tea with sugar helps with shock!" Fingers scrambled to explain. "That's what I meant, Boss…Honest."

"Just shut the fuck up, Fingers." Charles told him but couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Twat!" Brains sniggered, shoving his mate.

"Still feeling okay, sir?" Georgie questioned causing him to shoot her a look. "I'm just checking….don't want you keeling over."

"I'll let you know if anything changes." Charles told her and then nodded his head indirection of the truck, telling her to get on.

"Azizi has everything under control." Elvis appeared at his side. "We're good to go."

"Great! I could do with a strong drink but I'm guess I'm going to have to settle for a lukewarm shower and something that apparently passes off as coffee."

"Careful, Charlie, next you'll be saying you're getting too old for all of this…"

He let out a humourless laugh. "Maybe I am."

"What? Captain Charles James? The guy who lives and breathes the army and living out of a Bergin? No bloody way!"

Again, Charles' eyes were drawn towards the remains of the suicide vest and wondered just how many more times was he going to be able to cheat death.

"Hey, you're not serious, are you?" Elvis questioned, frowning when his mate didn't reply.

Charles forced a smile. "Nah, you know me…I'll feel better after that lukewarm shower…"

"Charlie…"

"Everyone is ready, Bossman?" Kingy announced, sticking his head out of the truck.

"Come on, let's get back…"

Elvis sighed, knowing he would get nowhere trying to talk to him here. "Okay, after you."

"Elvis Harte, ever the gentleman." Charles replied lightly.

"Whatever, Mate…I just want to make sure you don't fall on your ass."

Charles rolled his eyes as he reached out to pull himself up into the truck. "I keep telling you, I'm fine…"

"Yeah sure, if you say so…" Elvis muttered to himself before following his friend into the truck.

 _ **XxXxX**_

Once back at base, Charles had left Kingy and Elvis to deal with debriefing the troops while he returned a phone call from the Brigadier. He knew he would possibly be in trouble for not following protocols and ignoring advice from bomb disposal but he also knew the news of what happened wouldn't have travelled that fast. He probably just wanted an update on the mission, beside despite being tough and a stickler for the rules, the Brig was also a fair man. No one was hurt and the outcome was a good one so although Charles was pretty sure he was in for a lecture, he'd probably also get a pat on the back…just like when Geraint Smith died and he had gone out to retrieve his body.

The conversation with the Brig turned out to be a brief one; the senior officer was pleased to hear the latest mission was another success and to also inform Charles that the next day, Section 2 were to head back to Nepal to finish up what they had started.

Charles knew everyone else would be busy getting showered and trying to come down from the adrenaline high from the mission so took advantage of the empty Mess to have a cup of coffee in peace before they all came looking for food.

He managed 5 minutes of silence before someone sat opposite him and he didn't need to look to see who it was.

"So, is the caffeine hitting the spot?"

He grinned across to Elvis. "I'm not sure what's in this but I'm pretty sure it's not caffeine."

"I expect Georgie will be looking for you soon…" Elvis stated. "She'll want to stitch up that cut and check for any other injuries."

"It'll wait...I'll find her later…Give her chance to shower and have some food first." Charles took a sip of his coffee, wincing at the taste.

"Everything go okay with the brig?"

"Yeah, he was just checking in…You know what he's like, he's pleased when there's no mess to clean up…" Charles told him. "And it looks like we're heading back to Nepal to finish up…"

"Really? That's a shame, bet you were looking forward to getting back home."

Charles shrugged. "It's only for another 2 weeks."

"Yea but…."

"But what?" Charles questioned when Elvis trailed off.

The other man sighed. "I don't know…You just don't seem your real self at the moment."

"What does that even mean?"

"Ignoring all advice and orders?"

"God, Elvis…there was an explosive device strapped to a little kid...What was I meant to do?"

"And what was I meant to say to Sam if you'd gotten yourself blown up?"

Charles glared at him. "Don't bring him in to this! That's not fair!"

"Well…"

"No, we take risk everyday doing the jobs we do besides, you're Special Forces…You go on more risky missions but I never throw Laura in your face!"

"Alright, alright." Elvis held up his hands. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"You know it tears me apart missing out on so much of Sam growing up."

"I know, I'm sorry." Elvis said again. "But I don't think you have anything to worry about, Sam idolizes you."

"I don't know about that…." Charles rubbed his tired eyes.

"Oh come on, the last time I saw him he couldn't stop talking about how you were helping out with coaching his rugby team…In fact, whenever I see him, he's the happiest little boy in the world." Elvis claimed. "He's such a great kid!"

"I know he is…" Charles replied. "And while he seems to be growing up faster and faster with each day, I'm stuck out in places like this."

Elvis paused, noting that Charles once again spoke about being unhappy in his career.

"Are you thinking of quitting?"

"What?"

"You don't seem happy." Elvis pointed out. "But I don't know why because you've got everything… on the verge of a promotion, something that you've worked damn hard for by the way…a beautiful wife and the perfect family…"

"You sound jealous."

Elvis smirked and opened his mouth to crack a joke but decided against it. "Yeah, maybe I am…"

Charles stared down into his mug of coffee which had now gone completely cold. "Is this why you've been avoiding me?"

Elvis frowned. "What?"

"A few months back, I called you…you said you'd call me back but you didn't…" Charles' eyes flicked up at him briefly before back down to the brown sludge. "You didn't return any of my messages either…"

Elvis was surprised; they go could months without talking or seeing each other, granted that was due to the nature of their job but whenever they did managed to get together it was always like they'd never been apart. He knew he could turn up at Charlie's house without notice, at any time of the day and be welcomed with open arms. It never bothered his friend before if a while went by before they saw or spoke to each other.

"Sorry, I guess I've just been busy…" Elvis said, not only feeling a little awkward but also guilt. This was the first tour he'd been on in the last six months so there was no real excuse for not contacting Charles.

"I guess so…You were heading out for Spanner's birthday, right?" Charles set his mug down and leaned back in his chair, looking at Elvis again.

Now that he mentioned it, Elvis remembered Charles calling as he was getting ready to go out with the Special Forces guys. Maybe his friend was right and he was jealous. Charles had the perfect, beautiful family and a thriving career while Elvis screwed up his chance with Georgie and only saw his daughter on Debs' term.

"That was a good night." Elvis tried to joke.

"Whatever, mate…" Charles shook his head. "It doesn't matter anyway…"

"Really? Because it sounds like you're actually annoyed with me for it…"

"We're not a couple of teenage girls, Elvis!" Charles rolled his eyes but forced a smile. "Let's just forget about it…"

"Charlie…"

"Captain James…" Azizi approached them. "I'm glad I found you…"

"Was everything okay after we left?" Charles turned his attention to the ANA captain.

"Everything is fine." Azizi assured him. "I wanted to see if you were okay."

"I'll probably be a bit sore for a few days but I'll live." Charles gave him a smile.

"I checked on Zemar…He's doing fine…He is with the other children having some food and then they will be moved to the orphanage tomorrow." Azizi told him. "I think he would like to see you before they go."

Charles smiled again. "Of course, I might go and find him now…"

"Hey, wait…We're not done here." Elvis put a hand on his arm to stop him standing.

"What more is there to say?"

"Come on, Charlie…"

"Captain James." Maisy cut in before he could reply.

"We're in the middle of something…" Elvis told her. "Can it wait?"

"What is it, Richards?" Charles ignored him.

"I have a message for you from the gate." She informed him, looking a little smug in Elvis' direction. "You have a visitor and they wanted to check with you before they were let through."

"What?" Charles frowned in confusion.

"Ah, that's probably something I've arranged." Azizi added.

"What's going on?" Charles questioned.

"It's something I thought about after our conversation…" Azizi told him. "Just wait one moment and everything will be clear."

"Who the fuck gets visitors out in Afghanistan?!" Elvis threw his arms up in the air and got to his feet when Charles did. "Where are you going now?"

"To see who it is."

"Don't worry, Bossman." Fingers announced as he entered along with Monk, Kingy and Rab. "It's all sorted, they're going through the security checks and then Brains wil bring them here."

"What the hell is going on?" Charles looked around at them all.

"It's a surprise, Boss…" Fingers told him.

"Another one of your specials, Fingers?" Monk teased him.

"I was talking about sugary tea!" He insisted again, glaring at his section as they all laughed. "There's medical proof that it helps with shock…Isn't that right, Georgie?"

"What's going on?" The medic asked, joining them.

"Oh, who the fucks knows anymore!" Elvis answered in frustration.

"I'm sorry for not saying something sooner." Azizi placed a hand on Charles' shoulder. "But I wasn't sure if they would be able to make it…."

Charles' frowned deepened but before he could question him, he heard Brains' calling out to him.

"There's a surprise for you, Boss…." He started. "Just a normal one though….not one of Fingers' special ones…"

"I was talking about the tea!"

Charles turned and his eyes widened when he saw who was stood next to Brains.

"Qaseem?!"

The last memory he had of seeing the translator in person was when they were waiting in that bunker….He had however, seen the Afghan man regularly via Skype over the last few years since he had kept in touch and formed a tight bond with his wife.

"It's good to see you, Captain James." Qaseem grinned widely. "I hope you don't mind us….how do you say? Stopping by for a cuppa and a natter?"

Charles couldn't help but laugh; Molly had great fun teaching Qaseem all kinds of British slang.

"Wait….Us?"

Qaseem's grin got even wider as he stepped aside to reveal who he was with.

"Bashira?!"

 **TBC**

 **So, did you get who the surprise visitors were going to be? This is probably wouldn't happen in real life but gotta love that creative licence Fanfics gives you! Anyway, please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi! So sorry it's taken a while to update… things have been a bit hectic in RL but thank you all for reviews! I hope you like this! Please let me know!**

 **Enjoy**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times**

If seeing Qaseem was a shock, then seeing Bashira floored him. She was older and taller but still looked very much like the young girl who he had watched being whisked away all those years ago. Like Qaseem, Molly had stayed in touch with her and he had been kept up to date with her life by the letters she wrote, not only to Molly but she had become a pen pal for Sam too. Molly's sisters had shown no interest in the Afghan girl but Sam had jumped at the chance. Rebecca hadn't been happy with the idea at first but even she couldn't deny it had helped their son to not only develop his reading and writing skills but also appreciate where he lived and what he had. Unlike with Qaseem, it wasn't as easy for Bashira and Molly to Skype and the handful of times they managed it was when Qaseem was visiting her and normally it was short and with a bad connection. The times they had been successful, Charles had made an effort to show Bashira he wasn't some stern, uncaring soldier. He was always pleased when he managed to make her laugh by teasing Molly.

Still, he was almost as surprised as everyone else when Bashira grinned widely and ran towards him. He couldn't help but think back to when she used to appear when they were out on patrol. The first time it was him who handed Bashira a pen, causing her to smile happily while he reminded Molly their mission was about hearts and minds. After that though, the local girl tried to keep out of his way and always kept her gaze on the floor when he was around.

"Bossman…" She greeted, coming to a stop in front of him.

"I wasn't expecting to see you…" Charles couldn't help but smile.

"Friend of yours, Sir?" Georgie questioned, curiously.

"What are you doing here?" Charles ignored her, his attention fully on the teenage girl.

"I have some letters….and I made a birthday card for Sam." Bashira explained.

"We thought we'd same money on a stamp." Qaseem added, walking over to join them and held a hand out towards Charles. "It's good to see you in person again, Captain James …Looking a lot better than last time."

"I feel a lot better than last time too." Charles grinned and shook his hand.

"You're hurt." Bashira peered up at the dressing on Charles' forehead.

"It's nothing." He assured her. "Just a scratch."

"Actually, boss…I still need to check you over." Georgie cut in.

"It'll wait…"

"You might gonna need a stitch…"

Charles looked back down at Bashira and saw her smirking a little and he couldn't help but laugh out loud. The young girl obviously remembered the exchanged between him and Molly. He was amazed that even though he was thousands of miles away from his wife, he actually felt closer to her here then he had for a long time.

"I was just going to check on some of the children we helped today….do you want to come with me?" Charles asked her. "You can update me on what you been up to and maybe we can play a game of Sang Chill Bazi."

Bashira grinned at him. "I am champion."

"Yeah but you've only played Molly…and she's rubbish." He stated as they started to walk off. "She can't even beat Sam and she was the one who taught him how to play!"

Two section and Special Forces watched them leave, all looking a little bemused to see that side of the captain. For the older members of 2 section it made them realize how little they had seen their boss relax and looking happy since the being on tour.

"Do you have an idea what's going on?" Georgie asked Elvis, quietly.

"Not a clue…" Elvis replied, watching them disappearing from sight.

There was a slight pause before Georgie continued, making sure that none of the others would overhear. "You said you would talk to him….if I was still concerned…"

Elvis looked down at her. "So you are still concerned?"

"Aren't you?" Georgie questioned and then sighed. "I can talk to him if you like…as his medic…."

"He'd just tell you to follow your orders and do your job." Elvis shook his head. "He's already pissed off at me…what's one more reason added to the list?"

"What is he pissed off at you about?" Georgie asked curiously.

"Don't worry about it…"

Elvis knew if he told Georgie that he thought Charles was upset that he hadn't returned his phone call, she would probably laugh and tell him to stop being so soft. He had a feeling that Georgie wouldn't believe that her Captain would get upset over something so small because before their conversation earlier, Elvis wouldn't have believed it either. Until now, he hadn't realized how withdrawn Charles had become. This tour had been successful despite all the last minute changes...Charles should be ecstatic with how things have gone but he seemed so detached. The only thing that seemed to bring a smile to his best mate's face was the local Afghan people.

"Well, whatever…I still want to do a medical after that explosion." Georgie told him. "Any idea how to get him to allow me?"

"Go get some food…Give him some space." Elvis advised. "He's probably still processing it all himself."

"Fine but just keep an eye on him in the meantime, alright?"

"Oh, don't worry…I will." Elvis replied. "Now go join the others."

Georgie gave him a small smile before turning and going on the hunt for something edible.

"Boss?"

Elvis' tore his eyes away from Georgie to face Spanner.

"The Brigadier is on the phone for you…"

"Wonderful…." Elvis muttered sarcastically under his breath.

 **XxXxX**

Elvis returned 20 minutes later, after being informed that he and his team were to return to the UK first thing the next morning. They were finally able to go on leave and despite be looking forward to getting home to see his family and Laura, there was a part of him that felt torn about leaving Charles before finding out exactly what was happening with him.

He grabbed himself a cup of coffee and a bowl of some kind of stew before sitting down in an empty seat next to Spanner who was sat with 2 Section.

"Everything alright, boss?" Spanner questioned.

"More than alright…" He answered. "We're out of here first thing tomorrow…UK bound where our leave will officially start."

Spanner grinned widely. "Bout time, eh boss?"

"Yeah…" Elvis replied but was distracted as he looked around. "Anyone know where Georgie is?"

"She went to find Captain James." Kingy answered. "Said she was worried about leaving him without checking for a concussion."

Elvis rolled his eyes, wishing that Georgie would have listened to his advice for once. He knew she was just trying to do her job and that she also cared about Charles but he knew his friend would clam up even more when pushed. Charles has always been good at hiding his true emotions and putting up a front. Elvis knew it was one of the reasons his first marriage had failed because rather than sharing his problems or worries, he kept them to himself and insisted with dealing with them on his own. Elvis always thought he himself was good at shutting people out until he met Charlie. Perhaps that is why they become such good friends; both being similar in the way that neither of them liked to rely on anyone else except Elvis tended to deflect by using humour while Charles seemed to slowly fade into the background. He knew his best mate could do a good 'mean and moody' routine when he was angry or annoyed but he was better at pushing people away without them realizing it….He just never thought he would be one of them.

"Mind if we join you?" Azizi questioned as he reached the table with Qaseem.

"Of course." Brains picked up some empty plates and put them back down on the table behind to make room. "It's good to see you again, Qaseem…"

"Did you miss us?" Fingers questioned with a grin.

Qaseem laughed lightly. "Let's say I do not miss watching the sausage challenge…"

"Another one of your specials, Fingers?" Monk teased.

"Shut up, you twat…"

"So, you know the boss?" Maisy leaned past Rab to look at the newcomer.

"Qaseem was the translator on our first tour." Brains informed her.

"That was the best tour!" Fingers claimed.

Brains turned to look at him. "The best tour?!"

"We had fun…" He shrugged. "Remember, the corps of army music….the boss and Dawes doing karaoke …beating all the other sections at the Olympics …."

"Do you not remember Smurf and the boss getting shot?" Brains replied.

"Well, yeah…the ending was a bit crap…" Finger conceded.

"Wait, Bossman did karaoke?" Maisy cut in and looked around the table. "Can't we set something like that up? Liven this tour up a bit…"

"You'll be lucky if you get a full night sleep before we're ship out of here again…" Kingy told her.

"Beside, not sure how Molls will feel him singing with someone else…" Fingers grinned.

"Who's that then? His missus?" Rab questioned.

"Yeah…See, that was another good thing to happen on that tour." Fingers looked at Brains. "Molly and the boss…"

"What?" Maisy exclaimed. "Captain James got together with someone on tour?"

"Alright, settled down, Richards…" Kingy rolled his eyes.

"Don't you know this story?" Monk looked at her. "She was the medic that saved his life…"

"And they didn't get together on tour…" Brains claimed, a little defensively of his friend and Captain.

"You told me about the time Monk got drunk and fell asleep in Kingy's shed…You told me the story of when Fingers went to the wrong bar and ended up spending the night in a gay club…" Maisy started to list. "But none of you thought to tell me about the Bossman hooking up with his medic!"

"I didn't spend the whole night in that club…I was there an hour, tops!" Fingers insisted. "And they didn't hook up…They're married and everything…"

"Whatever…" Maisy looked back to Qaseem. "You and the boss seem like good friends…You must know what happened…"

"They tell me nothing happened on that tour between them except getting to know each other…" Qaseem laughed lightly but then looked towards Fingers. "But you were right… they were a good thing to come out of that tour….They are good for each other."

"Well what do you think about joining us on this tour?" Maisy asked him. "The boss cheered right up when you got here…"

"My army days are over, I'm afraid…" Qaseem smiled at her.

"Guess we're stuck with a miserable Captain then…." She slumped back in her chair.

"Oi, watch it." Kingy shot her a look.

"He does seem a little off though…." Monk added. "I mean, even when we were in Kenya and all that stuff with Georgie, he wasn't like this…"

Normally Elvis would cut them off; tell them to mind their own business and show their CO some respect but instead he sat and listened silently; they might give him a clue into what was going on.

"He's probably missing home…" Rab suggested, looking around the table. "If him and his wife are as close as you all say….he's probably missing her."

"Yeah but they're used to being apart, ain't they…." Fingers replied.

"Maybe he's worried about her." Brains shrugged, sipping his tea.

Elvis considered this; in the past Charles was his happiest when on tour but he knew things were different now. Charles seemed more settled then ever when he was at home with his family and his absence in Sam's life was obviously playing on his mind judging by the reaction he got earlier when he mentioned his godson.

"She's at home, ain't she?" Fingers questioned with a small frown. "Not on tour or nuffin…"

"She might be heading to Syria…" Brains answered.

"No, she's not." Elvis said, deep in thought and not even realizing he spoke.

"I saw her a few weeks before we were deployed…" Brains told him after a small pause, he hadn't been expecting Elvis to join in on their conversation and had actually forgotten he was there. "She said she had already spoken with her CO about it…"

Elvis stared at him. "What? You sure?"

Brains shrugged. "That's what she told me…but I don't think she had made up her mind."

"But that doesn't make sense." Elvis muttered to himself quietly.

"Boss, you okay?" Spanner asked.

Elvis saw everyone at the table had turned to look at him with curiosity. Just as he opened his mouth to reply he caught Qaseem's eyes. He instantly knew that whatever was going on, the Afghan man already knew. Suddenly, he felt angry….angry that his best mate was hiding something from him but it seems he had no problem sharing with someone he hardly knew.

"Boss?" Spanner questioned when Elvis abruptly got to his feet.

"Excuse me…" He said before stalking off.

 **XxXxX**

"I think you might get away without having stitches, boss…" Georgie stated as she peered at the cut on his forehead after removing the dressing. "I think a couple of butterfly stitches will hold it….You're really lucky that this is the worst of it."

"I know." He replied, watching her getting the medical supplies ready. "But the alternative didn't bare thinking about."

"I'm just going to wash the wound out again…" Georgie told him but before she reached them there was a sharp knock on the door which opened before either of them could call out.

"Elvis?" Charles questioned when his friend entered the room. "Is everything okay?"

"I need a word." Elvis replied, glancing at Georgie. "In private."

"Well, it'll have to wait… We won't be much longer here…" Georgie told him, turning her attention back to her captain.

"Do you want me to make it an order?" Elvis asked her, surprising both Georgie and Charles.

She slowly turned back to him. "You serious?"

"Yeah… I need to speak with Captain James immediately and I need you to leave this room." Elvis answered.

Charles looked between the two of them, knowing he would need to step in before one of them said something they regretted.

"I'll come and find you after, Lane…" He told her as he jumped down from the examination table.

"But, Boss…" She started to object.

"Go." He said softly, nodding his head in direction of the door.

She sighed loudly and pulled off her gloves before glaring in Elvis' direction and leaving the room. Elvis followed her, watching her for a second as she walked down the corridor then closed the door firmly.

"You want to tell me what the hell that was all about?" Charles asked him. "I thought you wanted to make amends with her…That's not the right way to go about it…and I also don't appreciate you talking to a member of my section like that…"

"You want me to tell you what's going on?" Elvis cut him off. "Well, I want you to tell _me_ what the hell is going on…"

"This again?"

"Yeah, this again…." Elvis started to pace a little. "I get that you don't like to get emotional involved…I get you don't like talking to other people about what your feeling but I thought we were mates…I thought we had each other's backs…."

"Christ, Elvis…Are you really ambushing me with this crap? Of course we're mates but right now I want to stay focused on this tour and getting everyone back in one piece."

"Yet you're happy to confide in that Afghan translator about whatever is going on…"

"I haven't confided in anyone about anything!" Charles threw his hands up in the air. "And yes, Qaseem is a friend but he's closer with Molly…"

"So, she told him about Syria?"

Charles froze for a moment. "What?"

"Brains said he saw her a few weeks back and she was talking about some deployment to Syria." Elvis explained. "Is that what's wrong with you? Worried about her going? Did you even know she was considering it?"

"Of course, I bloody knew." He glared at him. "And as far as I'm aware, she hasn't made her mind up yet…"

"I know Syria isn't exactly ideal and I get why you wouldn't want your wife out there but you can hardly ask her to stay when you're still being deployed all over the world…."

"Great…Now I'm getting marriage advise from Elvis Hart…" Charles muttered sarcastically.

"And when it comes to it, she'll probably end up changing her mind anyway…"

"Elvis…"

"It's not like she's going to be going anytime soon, is it?" He continued.

"Elvis, please…just…"

"It's going to be, like another seven months or so…" Elvis rambled, completely oblivious to Charles now leaning against the wall for support with his hand clenched together tightly. "They can't exactly deploy her now, can they?"

"Stop!"

"Well, not until after the baby has been born anyway…."

"For god sake Elvis, just shut up!" Charles snapped. "There is no baby!"

Elvis fell silent and stared at him. "What? What the hell are you talking about?"

"We lost her…." Charles whispered, taking a deep shaky breath before continued. "The baby….She was….there was complications…."

"Mate…" Elvis took a step forward as Charles struggled to find the right words but he found he didn't know what to say either.

"It was about eight weeks ago…" Charles told him, looking down at the floor.

"Why didn't you say…?" Elvis started to ask but stopped when the answer dawned on him. "Spanner's birthday…."

Charles gave a small nod and shrugged his shoulders. "You didn't return any of my calls…"

Elvis screwed his eyes shut tightly; everything now was suddenly starting to make sense.

 **TBC**

 **So now we know what's going on with Charles.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey all, thank you all so much for the feedback of the last chapter. I struggled writing this next one. I wanted to get things right. I'm very lucky that I've never experienced anything like this so I've been reading some true stories from some very brave, inspirational women and men. I hope this is good enough!**

 **I know Lacey Turner herself recently touched on this subject and while I have taken some inspiration from what she said, this was already plan before I knew her sad story. I've read quite a few fics that put CJ's struggles down to him and Molly losing a baby which I feel would have given a lot more explanation to why he was acting like he was. He knew he already was having trouble in Nepal (before Elvis' death) but the main thing for me was the scene at the beginning of s4 where CJ and Maisy were talking about Kids. He was smiling when he talked about Sam but after there was this look on his face…Might have been him just thinking about how his marriage was over so he knew no more kids were gonna happened but that was where I got the idea for this story from!**

 **Another small note, so many of you were worried about Georgie and CJ in this story, I couldn't help but laugh a little…just goes to show how scarred we are but you don't have to worry…Anyway, this chapter is just my two favourite guys.**

 **Okay onto the story… It a pretty big chapter with a lot of talking but hopefully doesn't drag on or offends.**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times**

There was a horrible silence hung between them which neither knew how to break. Elvis was hit by a tremendous amount of guilt for ignoring those phone calls; for thinking Charles had everything he needed and wanted in life so it wouldn't matter if he kept his distance for a while.

It wasn't because he wasn't happy for his friends but Charles had been right earlier when he asked if he was jealous. It wasn't until after he got used to being a father and hearing that Georgie had got engaged to that Doctor that he realized he could have had everything he wanted if he had only been honest with Georgie. Seeing Charles and Molly living the life he didn't know he craved had been hard, despite how pleased he was for them.

The whole reason for agreeing to come on this tour was so Charles didn't have to think about the pain and grief he felt every minute of the day. While he still struggled to keep it from his mind completely, especially since they had been surrounded by children the whole tour, it had helped keep him occupied. Besides, no one in his section knew that Molly had even been pregnant so there was no one pitying him or trying to offer words of comfort.

"I'm sorry, Mate." Elvis finally spoke. "I don't know what to say…"

"Don't worry…No one does." Charles replied. "And those who try, I know they mean well but rolling out the clichés like, _at least she didn't suffer_ or _you're both young, you can still try again_ …doesn't help."

"I guess there are no words that are going to make this better…"

"No." Charles sighed, running a hand over his tired eyes. "Not many people know we were expecting… We told our parents, Molly's nan and you just before the 12 week scan and then Molly's siblings and Sam afterwards….There were some people we wanted to tell but were away on tour so we put off making an announcement… I'm glad we did now."

"Does Beck know?" Elvis asked, unsure whether their mentor would allow Charles on tour after something like this and was surprised to see Charles nodding.

"I spoke with both him and the Brig...I was honest with them." Charles told him. "It was the Brig's idea and actually asked for me to go to Nepal… thought it would give me something else to focus on but don't worry, they made sure I spoke with someone who cleared me for active duty first."

"And it was something you wanted to do?" Elvis questioned.

Both Beck and the Brigadier had been a constant presence in their careers since the Sandhurst days. Beck was a typical family man and differed in his approach compared to the Brig's stiff upper lip strategy. Both ways had their merits but Elvis knew that Charles sometimes struggled to know whose lead he should follow.

"I think I needed it." Charles nodded; he felt himself sliding down the wall until he was sat on the floor. He suddenly felt very tired as he found himself talking about the last thing he wanted to. "I was going stir crazy stuck at home."

"I get that." Elvis crossed the room and sat on the floor beside him. "I'm sorry, Mate but I have to ask…Earlier with that kid, ignoring orders and disabling the vest yourself…"

"What? Was it some kind of suicide attempt?" Charles guessed what he was going to ask. "No…I wouldn't….Couldn't do that to Molly and Sam."

Elvis noticed that Charles had started to twist his wedding ring around his finger. Despite the military allowing them to wear a wedding band, he knew Charles tended to wear his around his neck along with his dog tags. "How's Molly?"

"Devastated…Heartbroken…" Charles answered, still staring at the ring. "And living back with her parents…"

Elvis' head snapped up quickly to look at him. "What?"

"She said she needed space...Another reason I needed to get away…I couldn't stand being alone in the house …not when we were meant to be getting everything ready for the baby….It just seemed so empty."

"But it's just temporary, right?" Elvis asked.

"I thought so to begin with…I thought she wanted to get away from the house and that spending some time with her family might help take her mind off everything but I think it was me that she was trying to get away from."

"She loves you, mate." Elvis shook his head. "You're meant to be together."

"Do you know how many couples split after losing a child?"

"But they're not you and Molly." Elvis stated. "You can get through this…"

"I hope so…I really don't know what I'll do if I lose her too…"

"You won't…"

"I can't reach her…I tried but I don't know how to help her." He whispered.

"It's bound to take time…she's grieving…you both are." Elvis reasoned.

Elvis watched as Charles led his head back against the wall, his eyes closing and taking in small shaky breaths; he knew his friend was trying to hold back tears. He wished he could tell him to let go, that he would feel better afterwards but he found himself choking on the unsaid words. Instead they sat in silence, Elvis not knowing what to say and Charles unsure how to word what he needed to.

"Sorry…" Charles mumbled as his hand quickly swiped at his eyes before Elvis saw the tears.

"Don't, Mate." Elvis shook his head. "Don't ever say sorry to me for this."

"The day we found out, it started out as such a nice day…neither of had anywhere to be so I made us breakfast in bed and we just had a lazy morning….by lunch time, Molly felt there was something wrong…she said she hadn't felt the baby moving as much as she normally did…" Charles started to explain. "I kept telling her everything would be fine…that there was nothing to worry about….I honestly believed that."

"There was no way you could have known…"

"Everyone at the hospital was great…We were all trying to reassure Molly and get her to relax but then they did a scan." Charles tried to swallow the lump that rose in his throat. "The midwife went silent…then she said she wanted the doctor to look at something….She was only gone for a couple of minutes but it felt like a life time…the doctor came in and looked at the ultrasound then told us they couldn't find a heartbeat."

"I can't imagine what you both went through…"

"It was the worse time of my life…I felt so helpless and so lost." He admitted. "The midwife tried to explain to us what was going to happen next and I tried to be strong, to take in all the information but it was all too much…They sent us home and asked us to come back the next day so they could induce labour."

Elvis reached out, grasping Charles' shoulder briefly in an attempt to comfort him.

"Neither of us got any sleep …Molly spent the whole time crying…I knew she needed sleep…that the next few days were going to be exhausting but I just couldn't stop her from pacing around the house…trying to work out what happened…what went wrong." His voice trembled slightly as he thought back to that night. "And I had no answers to give her because all I kept thinking was what if I had taken her to the hospital when she first mentioned she didn't feel right…What if we had done something sooner…maybe…maybe…"

"It wasn't your fault, mate…don't blame yourself."

"We were both exhausted when we got back to the hospital but Molly was amazing, so strong and somehow found the strength to go through 11 and a half hours of labour…I'm in awe of her…"

"Earlier…you said there had been complications and that you had lost _her…_ the baby was a girl?"

"Yeah, we hadn't found out at the other scans so we didn't know until she was born….born sleeping…that was what one of the nurses said." Charles remembered how gentle and kind the hospital staff had been to them. "She was tiny… weighed 1lb and 1oz and she was only 8 and a half inches long…"

"Molly hadn't wanted to see her at first, scared about what she would look like but she was perfect…beautiful…She looked like Molly but I could see bits of me too…and Sam." Charles told him. "The nurses took her away to get her cleaned up and when they brought her back, they had dressed her in a little white knitted dress…apparently, they have these volunteers who make clothes for babies who are….that are…."

Elvis reached out again, this time laying a hand on Charles' forearm as he struggled to get the words out.

"She was so small…none of the baby clothes we had brought would have fitted her…" He managed to continue. "And they put her into something called a cuddle cot…it allowed us to have a couple of days with her…just the three of us…."

"I didn't realize you could do that…"

"Me either… It gave us time and I don't think I could ever thank the hospital enough for that…That first night, we were able to get some sleep which we both needed, particularly Molly and she was still there with us in the morning…we were able to wash her, dress her, cuddle her, talk to her….and although it was unbelievably hard I'm glad we had that time with her." Charles told him. "Someone came in and took some photos… and they took prints of her hands and feet….so we'd have something to keep….They put it all in a keepsake box for us with the dress she was wearing, her hospital bracelet…and at the beginning they even gave us two teddy bears… one that she had the whole time and the other, Molly and I had… then when it came time for us to leave, they swapped them, so we had hers and she had ours…the same was done with her blanket."

This time it was Elvis who reached up and wiped away a tear as he silently listened. He watched as Charles pulled something out of his inside pocket. He stared at it for a moment before flicking his eyes towards Elvis.

"Do you want to see her?"

Elvis hesitated for a split second, unsure what to expect but knew it was something he needed to do not just for his friend but for himself too. He took the photo with a shaky hand and sucked in a breath before looking at the image. He was instantly overcome with a mixture of feelings from love to sadness.

"She's beautiful, Mate…" Elvis managed to choke out.

"We called her Sarah Grace…" Charles whispered, his eyes not leaving the photo. "Sarah after my grandmother…Grace because it was one of the few names we both liked… We used to tease each other by coming up with the most ridicules names… but when it came to making the decision, it was easy….she looked like a Sarah."

Elvis nodded silently in agreement and kept looking at the picture. She just looked like a sleeping baby…unbelievably tiny but a perfect little girl He only looked away when he felt Charles push himself up and to his feet then he crossed to the other side of the room. Elvis stayed where he was, watching as he picked up a water bottle and took a mouthful. Charles kept his back to him and Elvis knew he no longer could hold back the tears, after a few quiet sniffs.

"They wouldn't let us register her…."

"What?"

"Molly was only 21 weeks pregnant and the law classes it as a miscarriage so we couldn't register her birth or her death…it's like she never existed…but she did…she was our baby…our daughter." Charles gripped tightly onto the examination table. "But instead of planning a baby shower or christening, we had to plan a funeral."

Elvis screwed his eyes shut. "I should have been there….I'm so sorry…you must hate me."

"I don't."

"I'm meant to be your best friend…Every time I call, you're always there to help me…. when you called, I let you down, big time!"

Charles turned back to face him, looking down at him for a moment before sighing. "When we were at the hospital, my parents were out of the country and Molly hadn't wanted to tell her family at that point …I called you a couple of hours after she was born, when Molly was finally asleep….I didn't know who else to call but it wasn't until you answered that I realized I had no idea what to say to you….to be honest, it was a relief when you said you were on your way out and would call me back…"

"If I had known, I would have been there…"

"I know that but I think it was probably a good thing that it was just the three of us there." Charles said softly. "When I called you the next time, I should have said how important it was that you call me back but again, I think I was mostly relieved that I didn't have to explain to another person…By the time it came to tell people about the funeral, I was pretty numb to everything, I can't even remember if I even left you a message."

"How was it? The Funeral?" Elvis asked quietly.

"It didn't feel like a funeral….Normally, people do readings about the person who has passed away…you pick their favourite songs, flowers, and make sure to honour their wishes as best as possible….we couldn't do that." Charles answered. "It was just us, our parents, Molly's Nan and her two eldest sisters…It didn't seem right for kids to be there…Rebecca outright refused Sam to come, which was probably for the best…"

Elvis knew he was always going to regret not being there for his friend on which was bound to be the worst few weeks of his life.

"I remember, sitting in the hospital that first time and wondering how I was going to get through the next few days but spending time with her and taking care of Molly, was easy…it almost seemed normal….I don't know where I found the strength to say goodbye and leave the hospital." Charles continued in a whisper, staring ahead. "I thought the funeral might give us some kind of closure but to be honest, I don't remember much of it…We've got an order of service with a copy of the poem and prayers that were said… but really, all I can remember is Molly gripping my hand so tightly and not letting go for one second… and the song played at the end of the service…Molly and I had no idea where to even begin choosing one so her Nan picked one… _Fields of Gold_ , the charity version from last year? She said it had been playing on the radio when she heard the news and seemed fitting…"

"I know the one." Elvis murmured quietly.

"The next few days were a bit of a blur… our family tried to rally around us but Molly and I clung to each other…we didn't want anyone else there, we just wanted to grieve alone, together." Charles told him. "Then after a couple of weeks, Molly started to drift away…suddenly, I went from being the person she needed the most to her not wanting to be near me…nothing I said or did was right and everything seemed to end in an argument."

Elvis wished he could offer Charles some advice but he was the last one to ask when it came to relationships but he prayed this was just a rough patch for them because they were by far the best couple he knew. It wasn't fair that they should lose their daughter and each other too.

"I know I didn't handle things right….I know there is no way I could understand what she's going through...She's not only had to deal with the emotional side of this but the physical too…I just didn't know how to help…to fix it and whenever I tried, I seemed to upset her more." Charles admitted. "You know me, I'm not very good at standing still and not doing anything…I thought maybe if we had a bit more routine in our day, it would make things easier…Things like going to the supermarket to get some food in; we couldn't relie on my parents to bring us food everyday…Not that she was eating any of it… or even going for a walk in the park… just anything to get out the house but she just called me heartless and didn't know how I could just move on…"

"I'm sure she didn't mean any of that, mate." Elvis frowned a little up at him, still sat on the floor. "She's hurting…"

"Oh, I don't blame her…. I was trying to move on...I thought it might help…might make it hurt a little less." Charles sighed, moving slightly to sit on the edge of the table. "Then one day, I'd gone out for a little fresh air and stopped off at a bakery Molly loves…I thought if I got some of her favourites, she might at least eat something, even if it was just cake but when I got home, all I found with a note saying she had gone to see her family."

"Shit."

"I thought it was a good sign," he let out a humourless chuckle. "I thought, _thank fuck_ she's finally left the house…I was due to see Sam that evening so assumed that's why she hadn't asked me to go with her but in actual fact it was her way of avoiding us both….she said she couldn't face seeing him yet…I told her I understood, that she should take all the time and space she needed…I tried to give her what she wanted…and eventually, she stopped taking my calls altogether…"

"You can't give up, mate…"

"I spoke to her Mum before I came on tour…Molly wouldn't speak to me but she needed to know where I was and what I was doing… When I asked how she was, Belinda said she was doing well…that she was spending time with her brothers and sister, been out a couple of times with the girls….that she was happy." He started to twist his wedding ring around again. "I told her once that the only thing I wanted was to make her happy and I meant that…. Even if that means without me."

"She might think this is what she wants but neither of you should be making such big decisions right now….You got to talk to her…You'll regret it if you don't."

"I've tried." Charles claimed. "And I'm just tired now…tired of everything…Did you know I spoke with the Brig a few months back? Asked about getting a UK based role…I thought it would be best with the baby and all and I was working towards a promotion and a role at the MOD but now maybe I'm at better at being in places like this… I might not be able to help my own kids but I can do something for others…like the ones from today."

"And what about Sam?"

"Rebecca wants to rework the custody deal." He looked back down at his hands.

Elvis narrowed his eyes at him. "What?"

"Apparently, being around me is bad for his mental health."

"What the fuck is that meant to mean?!" Elvis might have felt he needed to tread carefully when it came to Charles' marriage but there was no way he would keep quiet when it came to Sam. He spent years watching Rebecca use the little boy to get revenge.

Charles sighed. "Apparently, he has had nightmares about me dying ever since I got shot and they've gotten worse since I told him about the baby dying."

"He's been to be effected by it…" Elvis finally pushed himself to his feet now he had someone to direct his anger at. "You're his bloody Dad and she's his baby sister…"

"Well, Rebecca thought it was best that I didn't see him until things settled down… Until I'm not such an emotional wreck."

"That's a load of bollocks, Mate… You need him more than ever right now and he needs you just as much.

"When I told him what had happened, he asked if it was his fault…" Charles looked at him again. "He said he had been wishing for a baby brother and thought maybe that's why she died."

Elvis' anger faded as his heart broke for the little boy who he adored like he was his own… A little boy who was so much like his father except he never hid his sweet or insecurities like his Dad.

"Everything is such a mess." Charles pressed the heels of his palms into his tired eyes.

"When was the last time you had a decent night sleep?"

"What's one of them?" He quipped before shrugging. "Would you believe me if I said the first night we were here?"

"No."

Charles smiled faintly. "Honestly, I couldn't settle in Nepal enough to sleep but coming here…I don't know…Maybe it's because I've been out here some many times…Maybe because it reminds me of Molly but I slept all night for the first time in forever."

Elvis looked at the photo that he still held one last time before handing it back to Charles who found he couldn't tear his eyes away from the image of his daughter. Even though talking about it all was something he had wanted to avoid on this tour, he did actually feel a little better now that Elvis knew everything.

He suddenly felt Elvis take hold of his chin, tilting it upwards slightly causing Charles to jerk his head away.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He questioned, eyeing the antiseptic wipe in Elvis' hand.

"Getting you cleaned and stitched up…I heard Georgie say it only needs butterfly stitches." Elvis explained with a shrug. "I can handle that…"

"No offence, Mate…I think I might risk getting an infection."

"Don't be a wimp." Elvis gripped his chin again, this time not letting him move away. "This way you can get straight off to bed…you won't have to face anyone…might get Georgie off your back for the night too."

Charles forced himself to stay still; Elvis did make a good point. He let his eyes closed and tried not to wince as Elvis' washed out the wound.

"Elvis?" Charles said after a few seconds of silence.

"Hmm?" Elvis replied, concentrating hard on securing the stitches.

"Thanks…"

"I ain't finished yet…Might not have done a good job."

Charles smiled; he knew Elvis knew what he meant and deliberately misunderstood what he was saying.

"You do realise Georgie is going to kill you if you steal her job and then screw it up."

"I might not have thought this through…"

Charles laughed lightly and not for the first time that night, wished he had told Elvis the truth sooner.

"Elvis?"

"Yeah, mate?" He cleaned it again with a wipe before covering it with a clean dressing.

"I miss her…" He whispered. "I miss them all."

"I know." Elvis squeezed his shoulder. "But you'll see Molly and Sam soon…and you'll get everything worked out…I know it…and Sarah, she'll always be with you…I know you won't forget her…None of us will."

Charles nodded but he didn't feel as confident as Elvis sounded.

"I don't think I did a bad job there…" Elvis stepped back. "Think I should have been a medic instead?"

"No, you're too much of a mad bastard." Charles answered, jumping down from the table and slipped the photo back into his pocket. "Pretty good friend, though."

"You'll the only one who will have me." Elvis replied. "You must have done something very bad in a past life."

Charles knew Elvis was trying to lighten the mood but for once, he didn't want to hide what he was feeling. "Or something very good….Honestly, Elvis… Thank you."

Elvis reached out and pulled him into a manly hug, slapping him on the back. "Any time…Day or Night…"

Charles returned the gesture before pushing him away. "Alright, get off me you soppy git."

Elvis rolled his eyes as he stepped back. "Knew it wouldn't last…Now that's out the way, why don't you head for your pit? I let Kingy and the rest know you've turned in for the night."

"Including Georgie?"

"I can handle her." He claimed, causing Charles to raise an eyebrow. "Shut up! And go before I change my mind…"

"Okay, thanks." Charles nodded before heading for the door.

Elvis watched him go and once he was alone, he let out a long shaky breath. Looking up at the ceiling, he prayed to a God he wasn't even sure he believed in that everything would turn out okay, just like he told Charles it would.

 **TBC**

 **Please let me know what you think! More from Qaseem, Bashira, Georgie and 2 section to come !**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi all, firstly I want to start off by saying a big thank you for everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I wasn't sure how well it would go down so it means a lot to get your feedback. Secondly, there's a lot going on in this chapter…and I'd like to reassure everyone, I still firmly Team CJ / Molly!**

 **Enjoy**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times**

Charles intended to do as Elvis suggested and head straight for his bed. He was not only feeling physically exhausted but emotionally drained as well. As he walked past one of the clinic rooms, he heard a strange whimpering noise. He couldn't help but be drawn closer to the room, peering inside to see a young afghan medic trying to bottle feed the baby they had rescued.

His brain was screaming at him to carry on walking, that he shouldn't be getting involved but he found himself pushing open the door wider.

"Is she okay?" He questioned.

The younger man spun around, looking unsurely at him and Charles realized it was the medic that Georgie had been mentoring. "I'm trying to get her to feed from the bottle but she won't…"

Charles eyes were fixed on the baby, squirming away from the bottle and it reminded him of Sam when he had tried to feed him rather than Rebecca breast feed so she could get some rest.

"Do you want me to try?" He offered before he realized what he was saying.

Malik looked at him in surprise. "You, Sir?"

"I just…I might be able to help." He shrugged a little, unsure what made him suggest it in the first place but before he knew it, Malik had crossed the room and carefully handed the baby over to him.

The baby stopped crying for a second when she was placed in his arms, staring up at him briefly before starting again.

"Shh…" He brought her to his chest, rubbing her back; remembering Sam would never feed if he was upset.

"You have children?" Malik questioned, watching him.

"Yeah…A boy…" Charles answered, rocking gently as the cries started to decrease, hesitating slightly before continuing. "And a baby girl."

Malik smiled. "I think she likes you better then she likes me."

Charles moved her so she was cradled in the crook of his arm and couldn't help but smile when she stared back up at him, her bottom lip still wobbling slightly but she was no longer crying. He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to ignore the incredible pain as his heart ached for the chance to comfort his own daughter just like this.

"Here." Malik handed over the bottle. "The doctor said she will need to be put on a drip if she doesn't start feeding."

"She's probably just not use to it…" Charles answered.

He shook the bottle so some of the formula leaked out of the teat before carefully rubbing it across the baby's lips…an old trick he used to use with Sam. After a couple of attempts, she finally latched on and started feeding, although very slowly.

"You did it."

"It took a while for my son to get used to feeding from a bottle." Charles explained and then looked up from the baby to Malik. "What's her name?"

"We don't know…" Malik answered.

"What? How is that possible?"

"No one knows where she came from…the other children that were rescued didn't even know she was there." Malik told him.

"She needs a name…" He said quietly, looking back down to her.

"The orphanage will take care of everything." Malik assured him. "I need to collect some more supplies… would you be okay staying with her, Sir?"

He should tell him no…He should hand the baby back and leave because there was no way he should be getting any more emotionally involved with this baby girl then he already was.

"Sure, no problem." Again, he found himself speaking before he could stop himself.

"I'll be right back…" Malik told him before quickly leaving the room.

Charles was focused back on the baby who now seemed to be getting the hang of sucking the bottle.

"You should have a name…to belong to someone…You deserve to matter." He whispered and as he spoke, her eyes opened and stared up at him. "God, if Molly was here, she'd be trying to think of a way to sneak you home in her Burgan."

"I don't think she'd be the only one…"

He turned around and saw Qaseem stood in the doorway.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?" The Afghan man asked.

"Not at all…" Charles assured him. "I'm just helping out…"

"Looks like you're doing a good job." Qaseem smiled softly as he stepped fully into the room.

"I'm sorry we haven't had chance to catch up properly…You're not leaving just yet, are you?"

"Captain Azizi is arranging for us to stay the night." He told him. "Then we'll travel with the children to the orphanage in the morning and help get them settled…Bashira likes taking care of the little ones…She says she was lucky enough to have people looking out for her when she was younger, that she wants to do the same with other Afghan children."

Charles smiled. "Molly is going to love to hear that Bashira is doing so well…Although, I'm not sure she'll believe that it's all down to her."

"I try to remind her whenever I speak with her." Qaseem replied. "But you, Captain James also forget that Molly was only able to help Bashira because she had your help, support and faith…"

"Have you spoken to her?" Charles asked quietly. "Molly, I mean…"

"Yes." Qaseem nodded. "A few weeks back now…She sent me an email but has not returned any of mine."

Charles let out a humourless laugh. "Join the club."

Qaseem frowned a little at the comment. "I was sorry to hear the news…The four of you have been in my thoughts and my prayers."

"The four of us?"

"You, Molly, Sam and the baby."

"Sarah…" Charles told him. "That's what we named her…Sarah Grace."

"That's a beautiful name." Qaseem said softly.

"Meanwhile, this one is nameless…" Charles looked back down at the baby who was no longer interested in feeding but was led contently in his arms. "What's going to happen to her now, Qaseem?"

"She'll be taken to the orphanage where they will try and find her family."

"How are they going to do that?" Charles questioned. "They don't know where she came from."

"Then she'll stay at the orphanage to be looked after."

"What did she do to deserve this? To be abandoned?"

"Nothing." Qaseem stated firmly. "But her family may not have had a choice…She may have been taken from them or they thought giving her up would give her a better life…The mother could have still been a child herself…perhaps one of the ones that was there too."

"It just doesn't seem fair…" Charles whispered.

"No, I agree." Qaseem replied sadly.

Charles gave up with trying with the rest of the bottle; she had drunk most of it and it was probably too much for her anyway. Setting it down, he shifted her gently up to his shoulder, rubbing circles on her back.

"When I lost my wife and daughter…" Qaseem started quietly, gaining Charles' attention again. "Nothing seemed fair or right…We were good people, I knew in my mind and heart that they did not deserve to die like that and I was so angry at everyone and everything that it had happened."

Charles stayed silent; Molly had told him long ago that Qaseem's family were killed when their apartment block had been targeted by the Taliban but other than knowing that his daughter was her age and only 11 when she died, Qaseem had never gone into much more detail.

"They didn't just take my family…" Qaseem continued. "They took my future…my purpose for living."

"I'm so sorry, Qaseem."

"When I hear about all the stuff Molly gets up to I wonder what my daughter would be doing now…I wonder if she would be working…She wanted to be a teacher….she could be married and have her own children." Qaseem reached out a hand and ran a finger over the baby's dark hair before continuing in barely a whisper. "I could have been a Grandpa now…but I'll never know grandchildren."

Charles looked down at the child, whose eyes were now closed and her cheek resting against his chest.

"Before we lost the baby, I've never felt so helpless and lost or experience pain so sharp and relentless…and I'm including the two gunshot wounds I got the last time I was here…but at least I still have Sam and Molly…" Charles said a silent prayer that he _did_ still have them. "I don't think I could carry on if I lost them too…"

"It's why I used to volunteer for missions." Qaseem admitted. "I think I was hoping the enemy would do what I couldn't do to myself…That it was the quickest way back to my family."

There was a silence for a brief moment and Charles kept his head down, unable to look at Qaseem as he asked the next question.

"What stopped you from doing it yourself?"

"A few reasons….my faith and religion." Qaseem replied simply. "But mostly, for the same reasons as you…deep down I knew it was the wrong answer… and I knew it would be like giving up which I knew my wife would never want me to do…it was something we taught our daughter…to never give in….If I would have done, it would be like the Taliban had won."

"I'm scared Molly is going to give up on us…" Charles' voice cracked a little as he said his fear out loud.

"She's just lost at the moment and grieving." Qaseem tried to reassure him. "And if I know Molly, in her mind she's probably trying to protect you….and herself."

"She doesn't need to protect me!" Charles insisted in frustration. "After everything that has happened, it's me who should be protecting her…looking after her…"

Qaseem smiled softly and shook his head slightly. "The two of you were always so alike."

Charles sighed. "I just feel like I've let her down."

"You haven't." Qaseem told him. "What you both are going through is bound to be hard…I'm not going to lie to you and tell you it's going to get easier…You're always going to feel Sarah's loss but sadly you have to learn to live with it but don't ever give up hope…don't ever give up on the people you love and who love you…"

"I don't know how you did it, Qaseem."

"My faith and desire to see a peaceful Afghanistan." Qaseem answered softly. "In the middle of a horrific war, the good that people do outweigh the bad…being able to give back to my country by teaching and helping those in need has given me back my purpose…giving me a reason to live."

"I bet your wife and daughter would be very proud of you…"

"I hope so."

Before either of them could say anymore, the door opened and Malik walked back in, arms filled with supplies. Charles turned his back to the younger man, trying to compose himself for a moment before facing him again.

"You got her to drink most of it." Malik picked up the almost empty bottle in surprise.

"She just needed a little time to get used to it." Charles replied as he forced a smile. "She's asleep now."

"I'll take her back to where the children are all sleeping."

Charles carefully moved her away from his chest and into Malik's waiting hands. He was surprised at the lump that rose in his throat and the achy emptiness he felt in his arms.

"Thank you, Captain James." Malik smiled at him before heading back out the door.

Charles took a couple of deep shaky breaths and ran a hand over his hair.

"Are you okay?" Qaseem asked, once they were alone again.

"Yeah…." Charles sighed. "It's just been a long day… I should head to bed…there were I was going before I stopped off here."

Qaseem nodded. "I hope to see you in the morning before we leave."

"I'll make sure of it." Charles assured him, patting the older man on the shoulder as he passed him on his way out. "Thanks, Qaseem…for everything."

"I only wish I could do more."

Charles gave him one last sad smile. "Me and you both."

Heading back to his quarters, he was relieved that he didn't run into anyone and that Kingy hadn't returned yet either. Once he sat down on his bunk he realized how much his whole body was beginning to hurt and despite his stomach aching because he hadn't eaten anything since long before the mission, he was too tired to move.

Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his mobile phone, hoping to see a message or a miss call from his wife or son but there were no new notifications other than a few spam emails. He ran his thumb over the photo set as his screen wallpaper. It was of Molly and Sam from last Christmas and he had snapped while they were decorating the tree. Both of them concentrating on hanging brightly coloured baubles that they didn't even know he had taken it.

Glancing at the time, he did a quick calculation that it was only 9:40pm in the UK. Before he could change his mind, he pulled Molly's number up and pressed the call button. He couldn't help but hold his breath as he waited for the call to be connected and then listened to the ring tone. He screwed his eyes shut and fell back against the wall when the voicemail kicked in.

' _Hi, this is Molly…leave a message and I might get back to ya…'_

"It's only me…I thought I might be able to catch you but I guess you're busy or you're having an early night….anyway, I just wanted to say hi….see how you are…update you about what's been happening…. I'm in Afghan, right now… We were sent on a mission a couple of days ago with Special Forces so Elvis is here too…everything is fine and we're heading back to Nepal tomorrow so I'm not sure when I'll be able to call you again….the signal is even worse there then it is here…but all being well, I'll be back liked planned in two weeks."

He paused, wishing that this wasn't just a one sided conversation.

"Well, I should go…it's been a long day and I thought you should probably know where I am." He continued. "Like I said, I just wanted to say hi….and that I miss you…and I love you."

Tears filled his eyes as he ended the call but this time, he did nothing to stop them falling.

 _ **XxXxX**_

"…then he made Baz and Nudenut fill it up and he sat in it for the rest of the day while the rest of us fried." Fingers finished telling the story of their first tour and their Captain's paddling pool. Special Forces and the ANA had all left but 2 Section were all sat around the table, drinking tea.

"Do you think he's brought it with him this time? Maybe he'll let us borrow it." Monk questioned. "It's meant to be roasting tomorrow!"

"Probably not….since we weren't meant to be here, you idiot!" Brains smirked at him.

"What did you mean earlier?" Georgie cut in, looking at Fingers and ignoring Monk throwing a cold piece of carrot in Brains' direction. "When that kid was in the vest…you said something about Déjà vu."

"Well, it was like what happened with Molly and that Bashira kid, weren't it." Fingers replied.

"Her Dad was Taliban and she had given Molls some information…So, we were sent on a mission to extract her from her family but when we found her, she was strapped into a suicide vest." Brains added. "Molly kept her calm and still until bomb disposable arrived…I think that was the first time I saw the boss really panic but they managed to get it off her and took her away to a safe house."

"It was her Dad that shot the Bossman…We were meant to capture him but then everything went wrong…And the boss took a bullet to the gut and one to his leg." Fingers continued. "I swear, when I saw him go down, I thought he was a goner."

"From what I heard, he almost was…" Georgie commented; thinking back to the time when she had only been home from her own tour of Afghanistan a few weeks and was on her second date with Elvis when he had gotten the call to say his best friend was injured in the line of duty. Elvis had contacted a mate who was based at Bastion Hospital who told him that Charles had to be resuscitated twice and advised him to prepare for the worse. Watching Elvis supporting and caring for Sam and Mr and Mrs James had shown Georgie a different side to him. He wasn't just some joker and cocky officer, she first thought he was… That was when she finally allowed herself to fully fall for him.

Georgie turned when she heard the door behind them opened and almost smiled when she saw Elvis walking towards them. Being around him again had stirred up old feelings…She just had no idea what was going to happen next.

"Guys, you might wanna start getting packed up…" Elvis advised as he reached the table. "You're heading back to Nepal tomorrow."

There were a few groans as they had been hoping to go on decompression early.

"Kingy, are you alright sorting this lot out." Elvis looked at the Sergeant and nodded his head towards 2 Section. "Captain James has organized transport and all other logistics, so you just need to make sure nothing or no one gets left behind… Cos, I've been on many road trips with him before and he won't be turning the truck around for no one."

Kingy couldn't help but smirk in reply. "No problem, boss."

"He's also arranged for your Nepal girl to travel back with you all." This time he looked at Georgie and Maisy. "Try not to let her wonder off again…"

"Well, at least we can get her back safely." Maisy grinned. "That's something."

"After everything that has happened today, I told Captain James we can handle everything else and that he should get an early night…" Elvis continued. "So, if anything comes up I want you to come to me …I don't care whether World War 3 breaks out…I don't want anyone to disturb him."

"Yes, Sir." Kingy nodded.

"Well, I still need to assess him first." Georgie claimed.

"Already taken care of."

She frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I've already taken care of it….I cleaned him up and stuck on some of them steri-strips…"

"But you're not a medic…"

"In case you've forgotten I'm trained to administer first aid in the battlefield…I think I can handle a cut to the forehead." Elvis replied coolly.

"I should check on him…" Georgie went to stand. "He could have a concussion or…"

"Jesus Christ, Georgie…did you not hear what I just said? All he needs is a good night sleep!" Elvis insisted. "I'm ordering you to stay away from him tonight…and that goes for the rest of you too…"

Georgie lowered herself back down into her seat and watched him stalk away. That was twice in the space of a couple of hours he had shut her down when she was just trying to do her job. She knew there was something going on with Captain James and she understood that whatever it was, it might not be any of her business but there was no way she letting Elvis get away with talking to her like that.

"Lane, maybe you should leave…" Kingy started when he saw her getting to her feet again but trailed off when she ignored him and stormed off. "….it…."

He sighed, he might be her Sergeant but there was no way he was getting in between her and Elvis.

"He's pretty alright really, ain't he?" Maisy stated, causing everyone to look at her.

"Take my advice, Richards…if you want to stay on Georgie's good side then stay the hell away from Elvis Harte." Kingy warned her.

"No, not him!" She pulled a face. "The Bossman…I mean, he risked his life to save that kid earlier…he's letting us help Tara…"

"Oh, here we go." Fingers rolled his eyes.

"What?"

"Why is it every female falls for him?" Fingers questioned. "Whenever we go out, all the chicks lose interest in the rest of us the second he turns up!"

"I think they need to be interested in you in the first place before they lose it, mate..." Kingy teased.

"It's why we have to invite Molls… otherwise they're all over him!" Fingers continued to grumble. "Not that he evens bloody notices…which apparently, makes him more attractive…"

"No, I'm not thinking about him like that! Just saying, he's a good captain…" Richards stated and then tilted her head in thought. "Although, now that you have mentioned it…he is pretty fit!"

"Hey!" Rab complained. "I'm sitting right here!"

"So, what?" She shot him a look and then let out a laugh. "You're seriously not comparing yourself to Captain James, right? Have you even looked in a mirror, Mate?"

"Alright, guys…I think this is where we end the night." Kingy cut in. "Come on; go make sure your kits are squared away ready for the morning."

 _ **XxXxX**_

"Elvis!"

He groaned when he heard Georgie calling after him as he walked across the compound.

"Just leave it, alright?! Just for tonight?" Elvis stopped and turned to face her.

"What the hell was all that about?!" Georgie demanded once she caught up with him.

"Look, I know you don't like when someone orders…"

"It's not about the orders, Elvis!" Georgie cut him off. "It's never been like that between us!"

He sighed and ran a hand through is hair. "I know you're worried about Charlie…"

"Yeah, I am." She nodded. "But now I'm worried about you too…what's going on?"

Elvis wanted to tell her everything…wanted to explain how much he had let his friend down at a time when he needed him the most and how he was grieving for a little life that was never meant to be but it wasn't his story to tell and there was no way he was going to risk doing any more damage to his friendship with Charles.

"I know I don't always take things serious enough or get things right every time but have I always been so selfish?" He asked quietly.

"Yes."

"Wow, no need to sugar coat it…"

"You stood me up on our wedding day and left your mate to tell me with no explanation to either of us…" Georgie stated. "Are you seriously asking me if I think you're selfish? Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"Alright, I get your point…" He muttered. "It's just… Charlie and I have always been different… we've always had each other's backs…"

"What's changed?"

"He has…don't get me wrong, that's not a bad thing but ever since he's been with Molly he's been different…more settled, I guess…and happy." Elvis tried to explain. "Then it started to become longer and longer between us seeing each other…we missed out of things that happened in each other's lives…"

"Well, with the jobs you both do, that's understandable."

"I went to see Laura before we were deployed and she kept talking about how Uncle Charlie had taken her to the park and brought her an ice cream and a balloon." Elvis remembered his daughter being so excited to tell him her little story about their day out; at the time he didn't think much of it. "He had gone to see her before he left for Nepal…afterwards; Debs told me that he always sees Laura before he's deployed somewhere...I never knew that."

Georgie couldn't help but smile a little, despite what people may think, Captain James was a natural with children and she knew he would take his godfather duties very seriously.

"It's been months since I saw Sam…before, when Charlie and Rebecca was splitting up, the three of us used to do everything together…Camping, footy, rugby… movie nights…" Elvis continued. "And I was so happy for Charlie when he met Molly…the divorce was harder on him then he let people think…and Molly was good for him…it was like having my mate back again but it was also hard watching them together…"

Georgie raised an eyebrow. "You were jealous?"

"When Debs turned up with Laura on our wedding day, I thought I had to choose…I thought I couldn't have you and have Laura too...Almost all of me was screaming that I should pick you but there was a tiny bit that wouldn't allow me to walk away from this little girl who had done nothing wrong." Elvis told her. "And no matter how miserable I was and how I hated hearing that you were engaged to someone else, I thought I had done the right thing…until…"

"Until when?"

"Until I started to pay attention to Charlie and Molly…how much Sam loved Molly…how despite the fact that Sam wasn't her child, she loved him too…that the three of them were happy ….and it just worked." Elvis shrugged a little. "I kept thinking, what if I had talked to you that morning? Explained about Debs and Laura….what would you have said? Would we be married by now? We could have had what they had…"

It was a question that Georgie had asked herself many times over the last few years. She knew she wouldn't have been happy about finding out the man she loved had a child with someone else, especially on her wedding day but the sad thing was, she always came to the same conclusion….she would have stilled married him.

"But you didn't…." Georgie shook her head slightly. "You didn't trust me enough to talk to me…"

"It wasn't about trusting you…"

"What I want to know is what would have happened if Debs had turned up the next day or a week later…a month later…a year?" She listed. "What would you have done then? Would you have left me? Divorced me?"

"No!"

"But you left me standing in a wedding dress in front of all our friends and family…"

"I'm sorry…" He whispered, hesitating slightly but then took a step closer to her. "Will you ever be able to forgive me? Because I don't think I can live without you, George…"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath when she felt his hand cup her cheek. "I want to…I want to be able to be with you but…"

"I'll do anything…" He took another step and pressed his forehead against hers gently.

"Just…. Meet me for that coffee when I get back home." She said softly. "We'll go from there."

Elvis smiled. "It's a date."

 **TBC**

 **Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Finally I have chance to update something! I've just struggled to find the time to sit and write lately so apologizes for the wait. Thank you all for the reviews! There has now been 100! I'm glad you've liked this story and hope it continues! Please let me know!**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times**

 _Charles hurriedly grabbed his Burgan out of the boot of the car and made his way towards the house; smiling at the balloons and birthday banner on the front door. He let himself in, calling out but got no reply. He knew they were home because their coats were hanging up and he could hear music playing. Dropping his bag down, he followed the sound to the kitchen which was empty but movement in the garden caught his attention. His breath caught at the sight of his family playing on the grass with water pistols and as if sensing eyes upon her, Molly turned around to face him. She smiled widely before pointing him out to the kids. He grinned and stepped out of the French doors to join them._

" _Daddy's home!" Sam cheered, running towards him and throwing himself into his father's arms. "Molly is letting us have a water fight…"_

" _I can see." Charles laughed, lifting Sam up and walked towards the girls._

" _Dada… dada …"_

 _The little girl with brown curls and beautiful green eyes tottered towards him._

" _And we have birthday cake." Sam continued excitedly. "But we were waiting for you to come home first…"_

" _Well, good…I thought you might have eaten it all without me." Charles teased and tickled him._

 _Sam laughed and squirmed away until he was back on the ground. "I need more water…"_

 _As his son ran off to refill his water gun, Charles bent down and picked up the little girl who was hugging his legs. He swung her up in the air causing her to squeal in delight._

" _She's gonna throw up on you one day when you do that…" Molly commented and got to her feet._

" _Nah, she loves me too much." He grinned, pulling his baby to his chest and kissing the top of her head._

 _He then couldn't resist leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on his wife's lips._

" _We missed you this morning…" She stated, threading her fingers through his free hand._

 _He had tried desperately to get the whole day off but there was a meeting he could not get out of that morning so had to settle for a half day._

" _I wanted to be here too but work is over and done with for the weekend so we can finally start celebrating this one's first birthday." He tickled his daughter causing both her and Molly to laugh._

" _Hey!" Molly suddenly exclaimed when she was squirted in the face with water from the gun in her daughter's hand. "I thought you were meant to be on my side!"_

" _Dada's side!"_

" _Oh right, I get it…now his home I'm second best!" She jokingly complained. "You're such a Daddy's girl!"_

 _She turned and grinned up at her father, planting a wet kiss on his cheek. "My dada."_

 _Molly rolled her eyes but before she could reply, the sound of Charles' phone ringing started._

 _He immediately silenced it without looking at the caller ID._

" _Not gonna answer that?" She raised an eyebrow. "Might have been important…"_

" _Everything that is important to me is here." He stated._

" _Soppy git." She teased and then was hit with water again but this time from behind. "Oi! You're so going to get it this time Samuel James!"_

 _Charles laughed, watching her chase after his son and he couldn't think of anywhere where he'd rather be then at home with his wife and kids, celebrating his daughter's first birthday with water fights and cake._

 _He tensed when his phone rang again but he still rejected the call, nothing could drag him away from home._

" _Dada…"_

 _He focused his attention on his daughter again, kissing her forehead. "Happy first Birthday, Sarah…"_

Charles sat up suddenly and it took a few seconds for him to work out where he was….still in Afghan. After taking a couple of deep shaky breaths, he searched his mobile that was ringing somewhere in his sleeping bag. His heart was pounding, praying it was Molly but when he eventually did find it, he realized it wasn't his ringtone but instead his alarm clock.

"You okay, Bossman?" A sleepy Kingy questioned from his own bunk.

"Yeah…" He swung his legs down onto the floor so he was sat on the side of the bed and rubbed his hands over his face, trying to wake himself up.

"Bad dream?" The Sergeant stretched as he got to his feet.

"No….A good one…Dreamt I was back home…"

"Won't be long now, Boss." Kingy stated. "Right, I'm going to hit the showers before the rabble wakes up…"

Charles let out a long sigh as the other man disappeared through the door. It was almost like his heart broke all over again…The dream had felt so real but again his daughter and family was ripped away from him.

He checked his phone, just in case he had missed a message or a call but frustratingly there was nothing new. He considered trying to call Molly again but decided that probably wasn't the best idea…Deep down he knew that she was avoiding his calls on purpose and not just because she was busy. It was more important he focused his attention on getting everyone out of Afghan safely and keep them that way for the next two weeks while they finished off what they started in Nepal.

 _ **XxXxX**_

Despite being incredibly hungry after skipping dinner the night before the breakfast on offer did not look appetizing to him at all so he stuck with a safe option of a couple of slices of toast. As he entered the mess hall, he was surprised to see Georgie sat nursing a mug of tea. It was still early and Charles wasn't expecting anyone to be up for another hour or so.

"Getting an early start, Lane?" He said quietly as he approached her but still managed to startle her.

"Sorry, Boss…I was miles away." She gave him a small smile. "Richards was talking in her sleep…something about a unicorn and a parachute…So, I thought I'd get a head of the rush..."

"Well, enjoy the peace and quiet whilst it last…I can't imagine you'll get much on the way back to Nepal."

"You know, I used to think road trips with my family were bad…arguing with my sisters about who had to sit in the middle….listening to my Dad's music and him refusing to stop at any services cos they were too expensive but that's nothing compared to travelling with 2 Section." She jokingly groaned which earned her a light chuckle from her captain. "Anyway, how's the head?"

He reached up and touched the dressing; feeling a little bit sorry for his medic who had not been able to do her job properly the day before.

"It's fine… Elvis actually did a good job patching it up." He claimed. "I'm sorry we didn't wait for you but it had been a long day and I just wanted to get some sleep."

Georgie gave a small nod, knowing better than to say anymore. She knew there was more to the story then what both him and Elvis was telling her but she also knew that whatever it was, her Captain wasn't going to discuss it with her.

"No headaches or double vision?"

"Nope." Charles shook his head.

"Dizziness or sickness?"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes because he knew she was just trying to look out for him.

"None at all…" He assured her. "Other than a few aches, I feel fine."

"Okay but you have to let me know if anything changes, boss." She cautioned him. "Head injuries can be tricky."

"I promise you'll be the first to know." He claimed, although he was pretty sure there was nothing to worry about.

"Good and I'll give you some painkillers for those aches before we set off." She told him and continuing when he tried to protest. "Boss, it's a long, rough journey to Nepal… If you take them before we set out then you might stand a chance of being able to walk when we get to other end."

"Yes, Medic." This time Charles did roll his eyes. "Right, now that you've given me so much to look forward too, I better get on."

"Yes, sir." She smirked.

Just as Charles stepped outside the Mess, he spotted Qaseem talking with Captain Azizi. Again, he was surprised to see them as even the sun wasn't up yet.

"Captain James…" Azizi spotted him first. "I wanted to check on you last night but I was told you were sleeping… How are you feeling?"

Charles gave him a reassuring smile. "Better now…You're both up early."

"We're moving the children to the orphanage early." Azizi told him. "The ANA will escort them just to make sure they get their safely."

"Do you need us to support…?" Charles started to ask but Azizi held up a hand to stop him.

"You've done more than enough." He claimed. "Besides, are you not meant to be packing up and leaving yourselves?"

"I suppose you're right…" Charles gave a small nod. "If you're sure…"

"Thank you, my friend." Azizi patted him on the shoulder. "We'll take it from here."

Charles turned to look towards the sky, seeing the sun starting to rise as Azizi walked away.

"And another new day is born…" Charles sighed quietly. "If you forget about the war, it really is beautiful."

"Yes." Qaseem nodded his agreement. "I hope one day you'll be able to come back here and see the true Afghan…the Afghan I love…"

Charles gave him a small smile but remained silent. A few years, he probably would have shared Qaseem's hope for the future of Afghanistan but now he couldn't help but feel they were no further along than they were when he did his first tour.

"You and Molly could bring your family…show them where you first fell in love." Qaseem continued.

Charles turned to look at him again; knowing when he said family, he didn't mean his parents or Molly's siblings.

"I really hope you're right…" Charles replied quietly

"I should go help make sure the children are ready to go." Qaseem held out a hand.

"It was good to see you, Qaseem…Thank you…"

Qaseem reached out his spare hand and placed it on the younger man's shoulder. "Take care, Captain James."

Charles could resist checking his phone again, feeling another wave of disappointment when there was still no new notifications. His attention was drawn to Fingers, Brains, Monk and Rab noisily making their way in his direction.

"Morning, Bossman…" Fingers greeted him with a grin.

Charles folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow. "Okay, what is it?"

"Boss?" Fingers questioned.

"Normally when you've got that stupid grin on your face it means you've done something stupid or planning to do something stupid."

"I'm hurt, Boss…" Fingers claimed innocently, placing a hand over his heart.

Charles looked past him to where the others were stood watching amused. "What did he do?"

"Nothing to do with us, Boss…" Brains laughed, holding up his hands.

"I have been thinking though, boss…" Fingers continued. "You know how I want to join Special Forces?"

"I think you've mentioned it a couple of times, yes…" Charles rolled his eyes.

"Well, I thought if I caught the flight with the SF guys, I could pick their brains and get their advice and stuff…"

"That's a great idea!"

"Really?" Fingers asked in surprise.

"Slight problem…Special Forces are heading back to the UK and you're coming to Nepal with the rest of us…"

"See but I was thinking there wasn't much left to do…"

"Look, we leave in a couple of hours…I want you all to get some breakfast and then see if you can help the ANA get the kids packed up…" Charles ignored him. "Then we will all return to Nepal to finish what we started, together….understood?"

"Yes, Boss." They all answered, smirking slightly at Fingers not getting what he wanted.

"Right then, you better crack on before I start to think that we have time to schedule in a 5k run with full kit as well…"

"Cya, boss…" Monk was the first to break into a jog towards the Mess with the others quickly following.

"Fingers." Charles called out before they all disappeared.

"Boss?" He backtracked towards him. "You know, I was only messing…Wasn't trying to get out of doing me job..."

Charles couldn't stop a laugh coming out and shook his head slightly. "Yes you were…You're forgetting I've bloody known you for a long time…"

Fingers went to protest his innocence, unsure whether he was in trouble here or not.

"Look, forget about that… I just wanted to say, if you are serious about trying out for Special Forces then I'll have a word with Elvis and see if he will give you a few pointers."

"Really, boss?"

"Yes but Special Forces work bloody hard and can't be fooling about so you need to be serious about this." Charles cautioned. "If this is all just talk so you look good in front of the others…"

"It's isn't, Boss…honest!" Fingers cut in. "I want to do this… I want do try something new…to better myself...not that I don't love being a part of section 2 or anything…"

"You've been with us a long time…there is no harm in wanting to progress." Charles reassured him.

"Thanks, Boss… I won't let you down!" Fingers grinned.

"Well, I'm not promising anything…Elvis might not have the time and even if he does, there is no guarantees that you will make it." Charles warned. "But just put in the time and effort and you won't let anyone down no matter the outcome."

"Yes, Sir."

"Right, go and get some breakfast…"

"Thanks, boss…I really mean it."

"I haven't done anything yet…" Charles rolled his eyes and nodded his head in the direction the others had just gone in. "Go on, go."

Charles decided to focus on getting everything ready for their journey back to Nepal and had to admit, he felt better. He wasn't sure whether it was because of the conversation he had with Qaseem or because he finally opened up to Elvis about everything. Maybe it was because he was finally being proactive and actually helping people. More than anything, he wanted to get stuck in and start acting like a proper Captain again.

Just before the ANA were due to escort the children to the orphanage, Charles went in search for Bashira. When he got home, he wanted to be able to give both Molly and Sam an update on how she was doing…at least he hoped he would have the opportunity to tell them.

He was surprise to find her behind one of the buildings, sat on the dusty floor with Zemar. He noticed as he approached him, the little boy pulled his knees tighter to his chest as if trying to curl up into the tightest of balls, despite his arm being in a heavy cast.

"Hey…what you guys doing out here?" He questioned and was pleased to see Zemar relax a little when he realized it was just him.

"He's scared…" Bashira explained.

"Scared about what?" Charles asked, crouching down beside her.

Bashira looked towards Zemar but he remained silent.

"He's worried about leaving here…" She answered for him.

"You'll be safe at the orphanage…they'll look after you."

"What if the bad men come?" Zemar looked up at him. "They'll come take me again."

"No, they won't…they're long gone." Charles stated; he wished they had managed to capture the men behind the trafficking ring and was certain they would continue to abuse children but he also believed Zemar would be safe. Like all of the children they rescued he was disposal. They wouldn't risk coming back for them.

"Can you come with us?" Zemar asked quietly.

He couldn't help but smile at the request; there was a part of him that did want to stay and protect them all.

"I'm sorry but I can't…" He said softly. "My job means I have to leave here and go and help somewhere else but there will be plenty of people to look after you."

Zemar frowned a little, still unsure when Bashira spoke up.

"I was scared too when I left my home…" She told him. "But I was able to go to school again and play with my friends…"

"Will you ever come back?" Zemar looked sadly up at Charles.

"I don't know…" Charles replied, knowing that even if he ever did do another tour of Afghan, the likelihood of him ever seeing Zemar again wasn't very high.

"You could write." Bashira announced. "I write to them all the time…"

"I don't write…" He replied, sadly.

"Qaseem and I can help you!"

"Can I?" Zemar looked from Bashira towards Charles.

"Sure…" He agreed; it might be nice for him to have a little pen pal like Molly did. Although, he'd probably be in for a bit of stick if all those people he warned not to get emotionally involved found out. "But I think it's time for you to leave now…"

Charles stood up and held out a hand to help Zemar to his feet and was pleased when the little boy took it.

When they walked around the corner, they saw ANA starting to load the children on the trucks. Charles couldn't help but roll his eyes at the sight of 2 section and Special Forces playing around with the kids, probably distracting them more then helping the situation.

"Ah, there you are…" Qaseem greeted them as they joined him. "Are you ready to leave?"

Zemar nodded and moved towards the back of one of the trucks. Once he was lifted inside, he turned to give Charles a wave before sitting down.

"Another friend you made out here…" Azizi smiled at him and shook his hand once more. "It was good to see you again, Captain James."

"You make sure you take care of yourself." Charles told him; he couldn't imagine what it must be like to live in this kind of danger, day after day, week after week, year after year.

"You too, my friend…you too…"

"You alright, Mate?" Elvis walked over, carrying two small girls and handing them over to Azizi who took them to the truck.

"Yep, I'm fine." Charles answered. "Do you know when you're out of here yet?"

"Sometime this afternoon… This time tomorrow I'll be tucking into a good old English breakfast…"

"And one of these days, your heart is going to explode if you carry on eating like that!"

"Nah, I'm the fittest of the fittest!"

"Whatever, mate."

Both men turned to look, when Azizi called out to someone behind them, gesturing for them to hurry up. Charles felt his heart clench tightly when he saw Malik with the baby coming towards the truck.

"Captain James." Malik smiled at him when he reached them. "Your trick worked… It's hard to get her to stop feeding now."

Charles glanced down at the baby, knowing both Elvis and Qaseem were watching him closely. "She's probably making up for lost time…"

"And we thought you were right…She needed a name." Malik continued. "Qaseem suggested Shararah…"

Charles' head snapped up to look at the ex-translator and he heard a sharp intake of breath from Elvis.

"I thought it suited her." Qaseem said softly.

Charles moved his gaze back to the little girl. "Beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

Azizi called out again and Malik answered back in pashto.

"I forgot her milk." Malik explained to them. "I'll be right back."

He carefully handed the baby over to Qaseem and quickly made his way back inside the medical centre, causing her to wake up, murmuring in protest.

"Can I?" Charles asked Qaseem, holding his arms out.

"Mate, are you sure that's a good idea?" Elvis asked, unsurely.

He did ignored him as he took hold of Shararah, rocking her gently as he stepped away from the other 2 men, making sure to keep his back to 2 Section.

"I wish I could take you away from all of this…make sure that you always have somewhere safe to sleep and plenty of food to eat." He started quietly. "But I know Qaseem will look after you…I hope he is right…I hope one day soon all the fighting will stop and Afghan will return to the beautiful country everyone tells me it is…I hope you grow up to be anything you want to be but more than anything, I hope you grow up happy and healthy…"

"I think they're ready to go now, mate." Elvis interrupted quietly and couldn't quite understand why he felt guilty for doing so.

Charles glanced back and saw Malik had returned and was waiting to get the baby onto the truck. He sighed, running a finger gently down the baby's face.

"Goodbye, Sararah…" He whispered.

As he handed the baby back, he was aware that 2 Section were all stood watching the scene curiously while Elvis just looked at him in concern.

"Goodbye, Captain James…Take care of yourself and your family."

"You too, Qaseem." Charles replied.

Charles stood beside Elvis and watched as the last of the people got into the truck.

"You alright?" Elvis asked, as the trucks started to pull away.

"I'm fine." He answered. "Kingy?"

"Yes, sir?" The sergeant joined them.

"We got an hour before we have to leave…I need to tie up some loose ends….Can you make sure everything is ready for us to leave on time."

"You got it, Bossman…" Kingy replied and made his way back to his section. "Right, you lot stop mucking about and let's get a move on…"

"Charlie…." Elvis started but Charles held up a hand to stop him.

"Elvis, I'm fine… "He tried to reassure him before walking away. "I'll come find you before we leave."

No matter how many times his friend told him he was fine, Elvis knew he was burying his true feelings.

He just had no idea what to do about it.

 **TBC**

 **Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi all, thank you for everyone who's been reviewing and following this story! I think this is the chapter a lot of you have been waiting for!**

 **Also, just a side note…how great is it having Ben Aldridge doing so many interview and promotions for Pennyworth. The story about when he was a kid and his mum always finding him entertaining women is supermarkets? And the jar of snails! I think I love him even more!**

 **Anyway…**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times**

Elvis' leg bounced up and down with nervous energy as he sat waiting for a cup of tea he had only said yes to, to try and avoid any more awkward conversation with a woman he had only briefly met once before.

He had been back from Afghanistan for a week now and despite being busy with work and spending time with Laura, he could not get his mind off of what Charles and Molly was going through. Every time he looked at his daughter, he tried to imagine his life without her and just the thought killed him. He regretted the way he handled things when he found out about her but she was by far the best thing in his life…she _was_ his life.

He had no idea whether he was doing the right thing by getting involved but he had to try something…He couldn't stand knowing the pain his friends were going through or the fact he had let them down when they needed him the most.

The sound of front the door slamming shut snapped him out of his thoughts and he immediately got to his feet.

"Molls? That you?"

"Yeah, Mum…" He heard her call back, sounding a little out of breath.

"You got a visitor, love." Belinda added and Elvis actually held his breath until he saw his best friend's wife appear in the doorway.

"Hi." He smiled unsurely.

Although it had been a while since he last saw her he could tell she had lost weight and had dark circles under her eyes.

"Elvis?" Molly's eyes widened slightly seeing him stood in her parents' living room.

He saw the look of surprise on her face quickly turned to panic and worry and realized what must be running through her mind.

"He's fine… nothing has happened!" He quickly explained before pausing for a second. "Well, last I heard he was… We were in Afghan together on a couple of missions then he headed back to Nepal and I was sent home."

"I know." Molly replied, wrapping her headphones around her phone. "That you were with him in Afghan, I mean…he told me."

"You've spoken to him?" Elvis asked, hopefully.

"Nah, I missed his call…" She avoided looking at him as she plugged her phone in to charge. "He left a message…"

"Right…"

"What are you doing here, Elvis?" She asked with a sigh.

"I came to see you." He explained. "See how you are….Charlie told me…"

"I'm fine…" She cut him off. "Other than in the need for a shower…"

"Molly…"

"Excuse me." With that she turned and left the room, running up the stairs and ignoring her Mum asking if she wanted a cuppa.

Elvis ran a hand over his eyes…Charlie was going to kill him if he screwed this up.

"She's been like that for weeks…" Belinda said sadly as she handed him a mug. "I thought she just needed time…"

"I can't imagine what she must be feeling…" Elvis sipped his tea cautiously. "But Charlie thought she was doing better? Going out with friends?"

"I knew he was worried about her and the poor love was going off on tour…I thought it might be easier for him if he thought she was doing better." She explained, sitting down in the armchair.

Elvis lowered himself back down to the sofa; he knew Belinda had meant well but she had inadvertently made Charles believe Molly was finally moving on except without him.

"Did you say you saw him? Charles?" Belinda asked. "How is he?"

"He's….coping." Elvis struggled to find the correct word. "He's trying to get on with his job…"

Belinda nodded a little. "I just feel so sad for them both… They were so happy…"

"I'm sure they will be again." Elvis said kindly. "You were probably right…they just need time…I guess there is no time scale for how long something like this takes."

"That's true…" She sighed. "I wish I knew what to do."

"We all do." Elvis reached out and patted her hand.

"When I first heard the news, I wanted to rush in and wrap my arms around her…make things better like I did when she was a kid but she didn't want me…she didn't want anyone other than Charles…" Belinda gave him a small smile. "Then she turned up and just said she needed to get away for a bit…get out of that house… I thought it was going to be for a day or 2…I was actually pleased…happy that she had come to me but I soon realized she was just running away…that she was pushing us all away."

"Has she spoken to anyone?" Elvis questioned. "Her doctor?"

Belinda shook her head slightly. "I don't think she's seen them for a while but…"

She suddenly fell silent when she heard feet on the stairs. Quickly brushing away her tears, she stood up and made her way to the hall.

"I'll get you a cuppa, Molls…" Belinda gave her a shaky smile.

"Don't bother…" She answered. "I'm going out..."

"Where?"

"Just out." She snapped back.

She brushed passed Belinda into the living room, frowning a little when her phone wasn't where she left it.

"Where…?" She started to ask but looked up and saw Elvis stood watching, her phone in his hand. "Give it."

"I just wanna talk to you, Molls…" Elvis replied, taking in her appearance; her hair still soaking wet had been put into a ponytail and her face was red, either still from her run or from the hot shower…he recognise the oversized designer hoodie she was wearing as one of Charles' and hope that meant something. "Just to make sure you're okay…"

"I told you, I'm fine!" She insisted, holding out her hand for the phone.

"No one is expecting you to be fine, love…" Belinda said cautiously from the doorway. "We're all worried about you and we want to help…"

"Did he put you up to this?" Molly glared at Elvis. "Did he send you around here to try to _fix_ me while he's off somewhere playing soldiers?"

"No, he doesn't even know I'm here." Elvis insisted. "And he wouldn't do that, Molls…you know him better than anyone so you know he wouldn't."

"I just want to be left alone…" She muttered, turning her back to him.

"Look, I'll go and make some more tea….and we can all sit down and talk properly." Belinda suggested.

"He misses you so much…" Elvis continued softly when they were alone. "Even said he was happier in Afghan because he felt like he was closer to you..."

"I bet everyone had bleedin fun discussing our business…" She said bitterly.

"No one knows." Elvis told her. "He only told me cos I pushed him …I knew there was something going on."

Molly kept stubbornly silent, still facing away from him. When she didn't answer, Elvis decided to continue talking and just hoped she was listening.

"I know I can't know what you are feeling but I know Charlie is hurting too…"

"Fuck you." She suddenly spun around, tears in her furious eyes. "Don't you dare try and lecture me or think I don't care what he's going through…"

Elvis took an involuntary step back as she jabbed an angry finger at him. "I didn't mean…"

"Why do you think I'm here?" She spat. "I could not stand seeing this destroy him every day…Cos it consumes me every single bleedin second…I can't focus on anything other than her…"

"But Molls…"

"You know nothing! You have no right coming here now!"

"I know, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" He cut in pleadingly. "I just wanna help…I know not being there for you is unforgiveable but…"

"He needed you then…" Molly lowered her voice slightly then took a deep shaky breath. "You're meant to be his best mate…he would have talked to you...cos he won't do that with any of his other mates…and he wouldn't want to worry his parents…"

Elvis swallowed a lump in his throat as his stomach twisted with guilt. "I know I should have been there…for both of you…"

"I don't care about me." She shook her head. "I don't need you…I don't need anyone…I just want to be left alone!"

"You don't need anyone?" Elvis repeated, deciding that if Molly was already angry with him then he might as well continue. "So you don't need Charlie? Is that what you're saying? That you're done with him?"

She opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out as she registered his words. Reaching up, she brushed some tears off her face before pulling down the sleeves of the hoodie until her hands were covered.

"It's better this way…." She whispered, hugging her arms around her stomach.

"You don't believe that." Elvis said softly, shaking his head. "And there is no way Charlie believes that either!"

"Every time I looked at him, I saw the pain…and I cannot handle that as well as feeling what I'm feeling and you're right…I do know him better than anyone so I know it's going to tear him apart that he can't fix this…can't make this right!" Her voice broke with emotion and she took a couple of gulps of air. "I know…I know she would've had his eyes…like Sam does…and his curls and I look at him and I see…I imagine…"

She stopped suddenly, pressing her heels of her hands in her eyes and almost choked on the sobs that escaped from her throat. Elvis could only watch as she bent forwards slightly, her arms again moving to cradle her stomach as if in pain.

"Molls…" He whispered, biting back his own sob. He reached a hand out to her, placing it on her shoulder but she immediately stood up straight and pushed him away.

"Don't try and tell me it's gonna be okay cos it won't…because now we're broken…we'll never ever be whole, there will always be something missing….someone missing…" This time she took a deeper, more controlled breath and her eyes closed as she tried to focus on calming down but when she reopened them, Elvis could still see unshed tears. "And I just can't play happy families when I know I've let him down…that I've fucked up…"

"What?" Elvis frowned deeply. "What the hell do you mean? It wasn't your fault…no one is gonna blame you…least of all Charlie."

"You know that, do you?" She asked. "I was meant to protect her…keep her safe but I couldn't… babies just don't die…"

"Molly…sometimes they do." He said gently. "Sometimes there is nothing that you or anyone else can do to stop it…"

She shook her head. "You don't understand….I was her mother… I should have known something was wrong…I should have realized and done something."

"You can't blame yourself for this!"

She shook her head. "Doesn't matter what you or anyone else says… It ain't gonna stop me or make me feel any better."

Elvis didn't react straight away when she turned to leave the room and she was halfway up the stairs when he reached the hall, noticing Belinda stood in the kitchen door with two mugs of tea.

"He could have died out there in Afghan…" He called out, desperate to get through to her.

She froze but didn't turn or say anything.

"Some of the kids who were at the camp in Nepal where 2 section was based were abducted and turned out some child smuggling ring was behind it all…the leader was tracked down to Afghanistan…That's why they were there and we joined them on a mission to capture him… but they had informant… they knew were coming and if it wasn't for Charlie's mate, Azizi we would have been ambushed." Elvis told her, staying at the bottom of the stairs. "The second mission was after a tipoff about where some children were being held… by the time we got there, the gang were long gone but had left the kids behind...while we were checking them out and arranging for them to be taken to an orphanage a little boy approached us… he was about Sam's age and he had explosives strapped to him."

There was a quiet gasp from Belinda but no sound from Molly although Elvis did see her tense and grip the banister tighter.

"You know what Charlie did? He took off his gear and went out to the kid….kept him calm." Elvis continued, knowing it was the same thing Molly had done all those years ago with Bashira. "I knew there was no way he was walking away from that kid…not until he was safe anyway… and there wasn't enough time for bomb disposal to get there so he had no choice but to disable it himself…"

Elvis had to pause as he remembered the deafening explosion and only being able to watch in horror as his best friend was thrown through the air in a cloud of dust, smoke and debris.

"He only just managed to get him free before it went off….don't worry, I wasn't lying earlier when I said he was fine…he needed a couple of stitches in his forehead but that's it." He continued. "But I have no idea how he managed to survive that…I thought I had just watched my mate get blown to pieces."

She spun around and Elvis couldn't help but feel guilty when he saw the horror and heartbroken look on her face.

"Why are you telling me this? Why are you here?!"

"Because you say you don't need anyone and that its best how things are but what would you have done if things had gone wrong out there?" He questioned. "If the last thing he remembers is you leaving him a note telling him you were going and ignoring his calls…"

"Don't!" She shook her head. "Don't try and guilt me…"

"That's the last thing I want to do." He claimed. "But I also don't want you to have to live with regrets…"

"You have no idea about what I have to live with! Cos you're never around with things get tough!" She spat. "So, do us all a favour, sod off and leave us alone…you're normally good at that!"

Elvis could only watch as she ran up the last few steps and disappeared from view. As a bedroom door slammed shut, he closed his eyes; he was pretty sure he had just made everything worse.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it…" Belinda said kindly. "She's just upset…and in a bad place at the moment."

"It's fine." He managed to give her a small smile.

He placed Molly's phone on the small hallway table, almost forgetting he still had hold of it. Spotting a pen and a half of a torn up envelope, he quickly wrote down his number.

"Here, Molly has my number but just in case…call me if there's anything she or you needs…or if there is anything I can do." He held it out to her. "I've also put on there the details for when Charlie's due back...Just in case she's not sure…I know she normally goes to meet him."

"I'll make sure she gets it." She took the scrap of paper before gripping his hand tightly. "Thank you for coming…for trying."

He smiled sadly. "I only wished I could have done more."

Belinda squeezed his hand once more and nodded her head. "I think we all feel like that."

"I better get going…" He made his way to the door, turning back to look at her after opening it. "I mean it, you can call me any time…day or night."

"If you speak with Charles…tell him to come back safely." Belinda told him. "I don't think she'll survive if anything happened to him."

"He'll be fine." Elvis replied. "He always is."

With that, he stepped outside and quietly closed the door behind him. He practically ran down the concrete stairwell, taking the steps two at a time and when he was back on the ground, he stopped and leaned back against the wall, raking his fingers through his hair.

What the hell was he meant to say to Charles now?

 _ **XxXxX**_

"Molls?" Belinda lightly knocked on the bedroom door but pushed it open slowly without waiting for a reply. "I brought you that cuppa…"

"You can't fix everything with a cup of tea, Mum…" Molly sniffed a couple of times but didn't bother to hide the tears.

"Well, I brought Jaffa cakes too…" Belinda replied. "Your favourite."

A part of her wanted to scream at her mother that she wasn't upset because she had lost her favourite jumper or something, she had lost her child. While another part wanted to hug her and just for a small moment believe she could take away all the pain like she used to when she was a kid.

"Oh Molls…" Belinda set the tea on the floor before sat on the side of the bed, making sure not to bang her head on the top bunk and pulled her daughter into her arms as she began to sob again.

"I just want it to stop, Mum…" She cried. "I just want to go back and change things…"

"I know…" Belinda tightened her hold on her, her own eyes filling with tears. "I know…"

"What did I do?" Molly questioned. "Why did this have to happen?"

"You didn't do anything, sweetheart." She tried to reassure her. "Your friend was right earlier… sometimes things like this happen… sometimes babies do die for no reason and its shit but there is nothing we can do about it."

Molly cried hard and all Belinda could do was hold her while she let it all out, occasionally offering soothing words. When Molly fell silent and after 10 minutes, Belinda had wondered whether she had fallen asleep but after a few more minutes, she pulled back dried her eyes on the sleeves of her hoodie.

"Here…" Belinda reached down and picked up the mug. "Drink your tea."

This time, Molly accepted it, wrapping her hands around the now slightly cool mug.

"What's going through that head of yours?" Belinda questioned, watching as she sipped the tea and leaned back against the pillows.

"Do you think I deserve this, Mum? She asked quietly.

"What? Of course not!" Belinda insisted. "Why would you think such a thing?"

She shrugged and avoided looking at her Mum.

"Molly?"

"I've killed people…" She whispered. "Maybe this is my punishment."

"You're a good person…and you were just doing your job….protecting people." Belinda stated. "No one deserves this…least of all you."

"I told Charles once I didn't do perfect…" She stared down into the tea. "But these last couple of years…being with him…it felt perfect and then we found out we were having a baby…and I couldn't have been happier….but maybe I was right…maybe I don't do perfect."

"Oh Molls…"

"And he's not gonna want me now is he? Someone who can't even give him a baby…. Rebecca did…they have Sam and he's lovely …such a great kid." Molly managed to swallow back more tears. "And I've let him down."

"Now enough of that." Belinda said firmly. "You're not being fair to that husband of yours…he ain't gonna blame you…all he wants to do is take care of you."

Molly looked up at her. "Come on, Mum…you gotta admit that we're different…even you thought so when we first got together."

"Well, yeah but once I met him that all changed… He's just lovely and just one look at him, you can tell he's mad about you." Belinda stated. "And sweetheart, that's the reason it felt perfect… because you were happy and in love…and to you, it is perfect."

"Well, we're not so happy now, are we?"

"No but that's life…" Belinda reached out and squeezed her hand. "But that's not to say you're not in love with him…and it doesn't mean you won't be happy again."

Molly remained silent, deep in thought; her mum was right…she did love him…loved him so much that it hurt being away from him but the idea of being happy again just didn't seem possible.

"As much as I would love to fix this for you and take care of things just like when you were little, I know it's not me who you really want." Belinda wiped away a few of her tears. "I'll always be here for you, Molls…anytime but you need your husband more…and I think he probably needs you too."

"But what if he doesn't?"

"He does…trust me…trust _him!"_ Belinda pleaded gently before patting her hand and standing up. "Now, finish your tea and maybe try and have a little nap before the kids get home…it'll help."

"Mum?" Molly called out just as she reached the door. "You know, I'll always need you too, right?"

Belinda smiled. "I know."

 _ **XxXxX**_

One week later, Elvis found himself again filled with nervous energy but this time he was at Brize, waiting for Charles and 2 Section to return. He kept one eye on the arrival gate and another on the entrance door. He hadn't tried to ring Molly at all since he saw her last though he had been tempted but instead sent a text message in a last ditch attempt at offering any help or support. He wasn't surprised that he got no reply but couldn't help but feel incredible sad about it.

He had also tried to talk to Rebecca, told her that it wasn't fair that she was stopping Sam seeing his father and that she was doing them both more harm than good. However, the pair of them had never got on and Elvis guessed she had refused to even consider letting him bring Sam to welcome Charles home just because it was him asking.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

He screwed his eyes shut tightly and groaned quietly at the angry voice behind him. Slowly turning around, he plastered a smile on his face.

"Max, Grace…Nice to see you both…"

He should have known there was a chance that Georgie's parents would be there to greet her; they normally marked the occasion somehow, either by travelling down or arranging a little welcome home party at the house for her.

"You don't go anywhere near her! Do you understand?!" Max pointed a finger at him. "You've done enough damage…"

"Look, I'm not here to cause any trouble…" He told them.

Max let out a bitter laugh. "There is always trouble when you're around…"

"Just leave him." Grace tugged on his arm. "Look, they're arriving now."

Elvis turned to the door, of course he wanted to see Georgie and make sure she was home safe but he also knew she was serious when she said she wanted to take things slow…start with that coffee and go from there. Mostly, he needed to check up on his best friend and make sure he knew that this time, he was going to be there for him.

"No, I want to know what he's planning on doing…" Max was still focused on Elvis.

"Nothing…" Elvis claimed. "Like I said, you'll get no trouble from me…"

"You might be able to work your charms on most people but I won't be falling for it again…" Max continued.

"Dad?" They both turned to face a surprised and confused looking Georgie. "Elvis?"

"Hi." He gave her a smile. "Welcome back…"

"What are you doing here?" She asked. "God, Elvis…I asked you to do one thing and that was give me some space and time…"

"I know but…"

"But what? You thought you'd ambush me the second I got home?" She questioned.

"Everything alright, Georgie?"

Elvis almost rolled his eyes at Brains' question and saw that 2 Section minus their Captain and Sergeant, who were both just walking through the door was stood around them. He noticed Charles' immediately, checking his phone.

"Yeah, it's fine…" She assured him before looking back at Elvis. "I'll call you later or something…"

"Call him? What for?" Max questioned.

"Oh, Dad…just leave it will you?" Georgie sighed, stepping in front of him so she was between him and Elvis. "This is why I didn't want to rush into anything…"

"Alright, fine…I get it! I didn't think this through and I fucked up again." Elvis snapped a little. "But you know, what? Sometimes it's not always about you."

Georgie frowned at the comment, surprised by the outburst. Normally, he would be trying to charm her and make her laugh to get in her good books. That's when she noticed his attention wasn't even on her and he actually looked worried. Following his gaze, she twisted to look over her shoulder in the direction of her Boss. Despite being on the other side of the room, she could tell her Captain wasn't listening to whatever Kingy was saying. He looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Elvis?" Georgie glanced around. "Where's Molly?"

 **TBC**

 **Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi all, thank you for the reviews! Hope you like this chapter!**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times.**

Georgie looked around the arrivals terminal again; sure she must have just missed her friend in the crowd. It had become a tradition that Molly would be there to greet them when they returned unless she was on tour herself, just like Charles would always meet her. The members of 2 Section, who had served with them both, liked to wind their captain up by saying that Molly was really there to see them but there was never any doubt in anyone's mind the pair just couldn't wait to be reunited any longer then necessary. Georgie had always been a little envious of how strong and unbreakable they seemed. She admired how neither of them stopped the other from going on tour but it was obvious how much they missed each other when they were apart.

"Elvis? What are you doing here?"

Charles and Kingy had noticed 2 section huddled together rather than spending time with their families and joined them to investigate what was going on. They only had a short amount of time to spend with their love ones before they had to return to barracks to be dismissed. Georgie noticed her captain was as surprised to see Elvis as she was.

"Been speaking with Major Beck… he wanted to come tell you the news himself but got tied up so thought I'd do the honour." Elvis explained trying to sound light hearted.

"What?" Charles still looked perplex. "What are you going on about?"

"Beck figured after everything you might wanna start your leave early." Charles still looked confused so Elvis continued. "Kingy, you can handle getting this lot back, right? So I can buy your Captain a couple of welcome home pints?"

"Be my pleasure, sir." Kingy agreed easily.

"Elvis, what is going on?" Charles questioned.

"I told you…You can start your leave early." Elvis shrugged. "And I thought I'd give you the heads up…"

"About what?" Charles asked cautiously, not sure he really wanted to know whatever Elvis was up to.

"The Brig was impressed about you disabling that bomb to save a kid." Elvis told him. "Rumour has it you're being put forward for another one of them medals…"

Charles rolled his eyes; he was just doing his job, he wasn't doing it to be rewarded. He really did not want a fussed made and in all honesty, he'd rather move on. He didn't regret doing it and knew someone had to do something to save Zemar but thinking back, he just wasn't sure whether he was in the right of frame of mind. Everything could have gone so wrong…

"Nice one!" Fingers grinned.

"You proper deserve it, Bossman!" Rab added.

"What I did was risky and put my life and others in danger." He replied, shaking his head a little as he looked towards his section.

"And this why we should go have a couple of drinks!" Elvis cut in before his friend started the lecture about how everyone should follow orders. "Come on, a pint and watching the rugby match on TV will make you feel better."

"Elvis…" He sighed, rubbing his eyes, trying to the ease the heavy achy feeling from lack of sleep.

He knew what his friend was doing. He knew he was there because Molly wasn't. The logical, sensible part of his brain had told him not to expect her to turn up. She had refused to see him before he left and had not once returned any of his calls or texts. Despite preparing himself for it throughout the tour, it still felt like he was hit with a sledgehammer in the stomach when he stepped through the doors and saw she wasn't there.

"It'll be fun." Elvis again tried to sound upbeat but they both knew it was forced.

"You can't fix this for me." Charles said quietly, his eyes dropping to the floor.

"I know." Elvis gave a single nod; he would give anything to be able to. "But I can be by your side while you try."

Georgie looked between the two men; all those concerns she had in Afghan rushed back to her. Her Captain seemed to be better once they returned to Nepal and was focused on doing the job they needed to do. She thought maybe he had been a little off because the last time he was in Afghanistan he had been seriously wounded and almost died. Looking at him now, she could see just how exhausted he looked and it wasn't just regular end of tour tired either.

Looking back at the rest of the section, she could see they looked a little confused about the mood between the two officers but they weren't close enough to hear the quiet words that had just been exchanged. They started to all drift off back to their family; knowing they wouldn't be let in on whatever was going on. She was still very aware of her own parents stood behind her, her Dad still obviously not happy about Elvis' presence despite the fact that he wasn't actually there for her.

"Let's get out of here, Mate…" Elvis spoke softly.

To Georgie, he almost sounded defeated. Whatever he had in mind had obviously backfired.

"Daddy!" There was suddenly a loud shout, causing them all to spin around.

Charles felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw his son sprinting towards him, still in his school uniform. He immediately dropped his Bergen to the floor and fell to his knees just in time for Sam to run into his arms.

"Hey, Scamp…" Charles desperately tried to hold it together. Sam's face was buried against his neck and he could feel the tears falling from his eyes. "Shh, it's okay…don't cry."

He had to squeeze his eyes shut to stop his own tears, aware there was a lot of attention on them but mainly, he wanted to look strong for his son's benefit. Pulling back slightly, he cradled Sam's face in his hands, using his thumbs to brush away the tears.

"I missed you so much…." He whispered, giving him a watery smile, pushing Sam's hair back away from his face before planting a couple of kisses on his forehead; for once his little boy wasn't insisting he was too old for kisses and cuddles. He rested his cheek on top of Sam's head and hugged him tightly. "So much…"

Elvis sighed in relief when he had seen Sam running in…Despite everything that had happened in the past, Elvis knew that Sam meant the world to Rebecca and she would want to do what was best for him. Elvis was even willing to give her a big hug for changing her mind and bringing Sam today.

"Shit! Sam! Don't run off…"

Elvis' eyes widen when he looked up and saw the figure running in through the entrance.

Charles' head snapped up at the sound of her voice and again he felt tears burn in his eyes.

"Sorry….the train was late and then we couldn't find a taxi…"

Charles rose to his feet and slowly made his way towards his wife, wanting nothing more than to run to her but was afraid that if he did, she would run in the other direction.

"I know I've been a bit of a bitch lately and we need to talk and that…" Molly started; her hands clenched tightly together at her sides and with unshed tears in her eyes. "But can I have a hug? Please?"

When he reached her, he placed a hand on her cheek; needing to know that she was really there and he wasn't going to be waking up to find it was all a dream. He wanted to wrap his arms around her but he found it difficult to take his eyes off her, so instead he leaned his forehead against hers. He opened his mouth to tell her that she hadn't been a bitch and she didn't need to ask for a hug, mostly, he wanted to tell her how much he missed her and loved her but any words he tried to speak stuck in his throat and threatened to choke him.

"I missed you…" She whispered, falling towards him and gripped tightly onto his jacket. "I'm sorry….I'm sorry."

He held onto her tightly, one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders, his lips pressed to the top of her head.

"Dawesy, better late than never…." Fingers joked, moving towards the couple but Elvis flung out an arm, hitting him in the chest to block.

Looking a little confused, Fingers re-joined the rest of 2 Section again without comment. Ruffling Sam's hair, Elvis then put an arm around his godson's shoulder. Sam looked up and grinned, leaning back against him.

Pulling back a little, Charles managed to give Molly a shaky smile. "Hi…"

Despite the tears running down her face and she let out a laugh and returned his grin. "Hi…"

"I'm so happy to see you." He pulled her back against him. "I didn't think you'd come…"

"I wasn't going to…" She admitted, apologetically. "But then I realized being away from you was making things worse… I thought it would make things easier but it doesn't and I can't stand feeling like this anymore…I'm sorry…"

"You don't need to apologize…" He whispered into her hair. "We'll talk later but the only thing that matters is that you've come."

"Well, I think my mum was fed up of me moping around…Plus, she and Elvis knocked a bit of sense into me…I might owe him a couple of drinks…I weren't very nice to him."

Charles glanced over his shoulder at his best mate, who grinned at him. He had no idea what Elvis said to Molly but he was willing to bet he owed him more than a couple of drinks.

"When does Sam need to be back?" He questioned, glancing at his watch seeing it was almost 3pm.

"After he's had his tea…" She answered, threading her fingers through his. "Rebecca took some convincing to let him out of school…We told them he had a dentist appointment and she said you're gonna have to explain why he'll being going again in a few weeks."

"I don't care…I'm just so happy to see you both." He was sure the school wouldn't argue too much with him, as long as he kept paying them. "Come on, why don't you say a quick hello to the lads and then we'll get out of here….Somehow Elvis has managed to convince Beck to let me start my leave straight away and I'm sure he'll drive us home."

"Is that what you want? For me to come home?" She asked quietly. "After everything I put you through."

"It's all I want." He insisted, frowning a little. "You haven't put me through anything…"

"I ran." She looked down.

"So did I…" He put a finger under her chin so he could lift her face up to look at him. "But we're going to get through this…Together…because I still need you 100 per cent by my side."

Normally, she would have teased him about reusing words from their past and call him a soppy idiot but she didn't this time…she was just relieved he was still talking to her. The loss of their child had hurt more than she could ever imagine and she thought it couldn't get worse but after Elvis' visit she realize she was risking losing even more.

"Come on…" He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and guided her over to the crowd that seemed to be waiting for them. "We'll be quick and then we'll get out of here."

As soon as they started to make their way back towards them, Sam broke free from Elvis and ran to meet them. Charles immediately swung him up into his arms, so happy and grateful to hold his son again. He retook Molly's hand and felt her tighten her grip the closer they got, glancing across at her; he squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"Alright, Molls!" Brain greeted, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "Thought you were gonna stand us up."

Molly smiled weakly at her friend and Charles' noticed she didn't let go of his hand. "The trains are a nightmare today…"

"You need to learn to drive, Mate…" Fingers replied. "Hey, I can teach ya…"

"Good god…" Charles' eyes widened in mock fear. "What a terrifying thought…"

"Oi, you better be talking about his teaching and not the idea of me driving." Molly poked him in the ribs.

He grinned down at her because it had been so long since she had teased him like that. He knew they had a lot to talk about and sort out but just the fact she had turned up made the weight he felt on his shoulders a little lighter and the tightness in his chest had eased slightly, making it easier to breathe.

"Kingy, are you okay to take things from here?" Charles looked at him.

"Of course, Sir…" He nodded. "You get your family back home."

Charles smiled softly at him, knowing if anyone understood how difficult it was to be away from your family, then it was Kingy. "I'll check in with Major Beck but call me if there are any problems…"

"There won't be." Kingy assured him.

"Hey, Boss…I can always give ya a lift back to Bath…" Fingers cut in. "I mean, it's the opposite direction to Manchester but I'll happily do it for you."

Molly couldn't help but let out a laugh when she saw Charles roll his eyes at Fingers' offer and noticed the rest of 2 section smirking; they all knew what was coming.

"But you're not going to Manchester, Fingers…you're going back to Barracks with everyone else." Charles said slowly, as if talking to a child. "Besides, I think Elvis has it covered…if the offer still stands?"

"Of course."

"I'll even treat the three of ya to pizza." Molly offered, now gripping Charles' hand with both of hers and leaning against his upper arm as she looked nervously at Elvis. "It's the least I can do…"

"Pizza! Yes!" Sam cheered.

"You really don't need to…" Elvis started to say.

"I want to." Molly shook her head. "To say thank you…"

Elvis shared a look with her and realized that she wasn't just talking about him giving them a lift.

"You're on." He smiled at her.

"Oh, that's nice ain't it…?" Fingers continued. "Not only are you abandoning us, Boss but you're also talking about how you're gonna be eating pizza when we've all been starving on army rations…"

"Shut up, Fingers!" Charles told him.

"Shut up, Fingers? Is that all?" Fingers questioned, confused at the tame reply before grinning when he realized his captain couldn't say what he normally would because he was holding his young son. "You feeling okay, Bossman?"

Molly buried her face into his shoulder, trying to hide her smile as Fingers tried to push his buttons.

"Kingy, make sure you schedule a 10k run when you get back."

"Fingers!"

"You idiot!"

"Shut up, you muppet!"

Kingy grinned as the rest of the section berated Fingers. "You got it, Bossman."

"Right, let's get you out of here before Fingers ends up on latrine clean for the rest of his career." Molly suggested.

"You lot have 20 minutes left to spend with your family before we need to be on that mini bus." Kingy told them.

"You've all done well on this tour…You should be proud of yourselves…" Charles added.

"Even Fingers?" Maisy couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, even Fingers…" Charles rolled his eyes again. "Now enjoy your time off and I'll see you all in a few weeks."

Georgie stood back and watched as everyone said goodbye to Charles. She noticed Molly still hadn't left his side nor let go of his hand. She had seen them be affectionate before but this seemed different.

"Lane? Is there something wrong?" Charles looked towards her in concern once everyone else had moved on and she hadn't.

She mentally shook herself, knowing whatever was going on was nothing to do with her but she just hoped everything was okay with them.

"No, Sir…" She smiled, glancing over her shoulder at her parents; her dad still didn't look too happy. "I guess I've got some explaining to do…It's probably a good thing I gotta head back to barracks instead of home."

"You won't be saying that after 2 minutes on that bus." He quipped.

"Might make you right there…" She chuckled lightly.

"Right, well… I'll give you two a couple of minutes." Charles looked between her and Elvis.

"I'll be right with you." Elvis replied, smiling at him gratefully.

The couple watched as he re-joined Molly and Sam; Georgie noticing again that the pair immediately sought physical contact from him…They had all obviously missed each other during this tour but again Georgie couldn't help but feel there was more too it.

"Look, I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble…" Elvis started, gaining her attention back. "Major Beck and I thought he wouldn't be able to refuse starting his leave early if I actually turned up to told him in person."

Georgie glanced at her parents again and sighed quietly. "I guess there nothing really to tell them anyway yet, is there?"

"Yet?" Elvis repeated, hopefully.

"Well, I did promise to meet you for coffee, didn't I? I got a feeling you won't let me back out of it now?"

"Nope." He grinned, shaking his head before turning serious again. "I meant what I said…I'll do anything…"

Her eyes moved down to where he had taken hold of her hand. She squeezed his gently before pulling back. "One step at a time, yeah?"

"Of course…" He agreed. "At whatever pace you want…"

"Look, I better go speak to my parents…"

"Okay but can I call you later?"

She found herself nodding, than couldn't stop herself from stepping forward and placing a kiss on his cheek.

His eyebrows rose in surprised before another grin slowly spread across his face. "Not sure what I did to deserve that but I'm gonna go because you're Dad looks like he's gonna punch me!"

"Yeah, that might be a good idea!" Georgie spotted her parents making their way towards them.

"I'll call you."

"What is he calling you about?!"

Georgie took a deep breath and turned to face her parents. "Just leave it, Dad…For now? Please? We haven't got long… don't ruin it!"

"Oh sweetheart, I'm so pleased you're home and in one piece!" Grace hugged her.

As her mother started to fill her in on everything she had missed while being away, Georgie's eyes followed Elvis as he left with the James' family. Despite wanting to take thing slow, she couldn't help but feel disappointed that she hadn't been the real reason he had turned up and that there was something big happening she knew nothing about.

 **TBC**

 **So, sort of a happy chapter…but still a long way to go yet for all involved! Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone! Thank you all who reviewed the last chapter! I'm currently on my second week of Annual Leave and was hoping to get a lot more writing done then I actually have but unfortunately, my laptop had to go in for repair so was without it for a week. Also, this chapter was hard to write…I knew what I wanted to happen but getting down was a challenge. I think I just want to make sure I'm doing this storyline justice… probably more so then the other fics I've written. Anyway, I hope you like it. Please review!**

 **Enjoy**

 **Old Friends and Old Times**

After exiting their en-suite, Molly stopped in the doorway and just watched Charles sleeping peacefully for a moment. It was barely 8pm but from experience, she knew how tired he would be now he was finally home from tour. She had to admit, she was relieved that he had fallen asleep while waiting for her to shower.

That morning, her mind was still set on staying in London and was determined to ignore her mother's reminders that he was due home and subtle hints she should go meet him.

She had no idea what made her pick up the phone and call Rebecca. Rebecca and her had always been civil towards each other but they were never going to be best friends and her intention was only to inform her of the time Charles was going to be landing at Brize Norton so Sam could see his Dad. She hadn't been surprised when Rebecca hadn't wanted to pull Sam out of school for an afternoon but couldn't believe it when the other woman informed her that she planned to rework their custody agreement until Charles had sorted himself out. Molly was stunned and then pictured him returning to an empty house. The next thing she knew she was on a train to Bath with no plan at all except she couldn't let him feel anywhere near as lonely and empty as she did.

When she arrived on Rebecca's doorstep, the other woman had been surprised and Molly still had no idea what she said to get her to change her mind. She just rambled on and on until Rebecca relented… thinking about it now, Molly was lucky that Rebecca actually trusted her to take care of her son and didn't think she had completely lost her mind.

All the way to Brize, Sam talked non-stop about how much he had missed his Dad and Molly started to panic…She had no idea what she was going to say to Charles or how he was going to react when he saw her…She even wondered whether she could just drop Sam off and escape back to London but then he didn't wait for her to finish paying the taxi before running ahead and she forgot all her nerves as she rushed after him. Seeing the little boy wrapped up in his Father's arms made her ache...ache for those same arms to hold her. All her nerves…all her worries and stubbornness vanished when she realized there was only love and hope in his eyes…not anger…not blame.

In the last few hours that they had been home, they hadn't been able to talk since Sam and Elvis were there. Molly was actually grateful because she still had no idea what to say to him and she knew he felt the same way too. They were awkward around each other; normally when they had been apart for so long they could hardly keep their hands off each other….Now they seemed to be walking on eggshells. She just hoped it wasn't because he had decided he couldn't forgive her for leaving.

She quietly walked over to her side of the bed and gently sat down. Leaning back against the headboard, she hugged her knees to her chest; deciding against getting under the covers and disturbing him. It was still early and she doubted she would be able to sleep anyway. Besides, his kit still needed sorting and washing, she might as well make herself useful.

"Molly…" He murmured quietly, rolling towards her.

"Shh, go back to sleep…" She whispered, instantly reaching out and running a hand through his hair.

"Hmmm…" He sighed sleepily; his eyes flicking open briefly before closing again.

Molly stretched her legs out in front of her as he moved closer, putting his arm across her thighs and resting his forehead against her hip.

She continue to stroke her fingers through his hair slowly, pleased that he looked peacefully asleep again. Even without all the stress of losing the baby and the problems between the two of them, she knew it would take a few days for him to feel normal again after tour.

She leaned her head back against the headboard to look up at the ceiling. She wanted more than anything for everything to go back to how it was. She knew without a doubt that she loved him and he loved her but she couldn't help but worry that might not be enough anymore.

The first thing Molly realized when she woke up was that she was no longer sat up, leaning against the headboard like she last remembered being. She hadn't expected to fall asleep but she must have done and at some point Charles must have led her down and covered her over with the duvet. The next thing she noticed was, she was alone and when she reached out, she could feel his side of the bed was cold. The alarm clock on his bedside table told her it was only 10:20pm, meaning they both only had a couple of hours sleep. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, wondering if she should get up and see where he was and what he was up to.

"Stop being so stupid." She muttered and forced herself out of the bed.

She only reached the door of their bedroom when she froze. She could see the door to the spare room open slightly. It was the room they were going to turn into a nursery for their little girl but they didn't even get around to deciding what colour to paint the walls. She knew there was still baby stuff stored in there, little outfits they had brought, a scrapbook they had started with Sam to make sure he felt included, the teddy and the blanket the hospital had given them.

Molly had not set foot in that room since the day they were told they had lost their baby….she couldn't but she knew it was all still in there. She knew because there was no way she could face sorting through it all and neither could Charles after what he experienced when returning the cot.

She had forgotten she had ordered it and it was delivered two days after the funeral. Charles, desperate to feel like he was doing something constructive had taken it back to the store. She remembered how he returned a couple of hours later and barely spoke a word to her, which was fine because she had just wanted to be left alone. It wasn't until the evening when she started to feel guilty… he had taken charge of sorting everything from the moment they had found out there was no heartbeat because she wasn't strong enough to do it herself. She had gone to find him to say thank you when she discovered him in the kitchen talking with his father, a tumbler with a large amount of whiskey in his hand. It had surprised her because he wasn't a big drinker; he liked to have a couple of pints when he was with the lads and enjoyed a bottle of wine with dinner but drinking spirits alone in the evening at home wasn't his thing. She had hovered out of sight in the hallway and listened to him tell his Dad how when the shop assistant asked a reason for him returning the product, he couldn't bear to tell them the truth. Instead, he just said it did not fit in with the rest of the furniture and had to endure a further 30 minutes of being shown all different types of cots before he was able to escape; leaving with store credit rather than the cash they had paid. Molly knew she should have gone and made sure he was alright and comfort him but she just didn't have it in her. That was when she realized she had no idea what to say to him anymore and the weeks that followed was filled with either arguments or silence.

The second she stepped through the door of parents' flat she knew that being away from him was worse but she still wasn't sure whether she could find the words to tell him how she truly felt, never mind being strong enough to be able to support him too.

She chewed nervously on her bottom lip for a few seconds. He might want to be alone, he had left her alone in bed after all…he might not want her to interrupt whatever he was doing. Screwing her eyes tightly shut, she knew she was being ridiculous. Taking a deep breath, she made herself walk forward. Reaching the door, she peeked in; the room was only lit by the streetlights outside since they had stripped the room bare when they were starting to make plans to decorate and hadn't replaced the curtains yet.

She didn't have to get any closer to the door to spot him, sat in the only piece of furniture in the room. An old rocking chair that had been given to them by his mother. It was the chair that she used to rock Charles to sleep, just like her own mother had done with her.

She held her breath, almost expecting him to turn and look at her but he didn't, instead he stared out the window with a slight frowned on his face. Even in the dark, she could see he looked just as tired as when she met him at Brize Norton.

She knew she should go in there…tell him that he needed sleep and everything would seem easier once he had gotten some rest…She'd tell him it was medic's orders and he would give her a smirk and question just who the captain was. To which she would remind him that he was no longer her captain and she never really listened to him anyway; all the while he'd let her led him to their bedroom without resisting. It was a conversation they had several times in the past; when he was brooding over an argument with Rebecca about Sam or when he returned from tour in Africa when Georgie was taken, then again when Elvis was shot…And just whenever he had a crap day…She had always been able to reach out to him…Not always knowing what to say but knowing being by his side help just like when it was her who needed him. Except now….Now the silence between them was too painful but the words they did manage to speak just seemed forced and somehow was worse.

Feeling a lump rise in her throat and her eyes burning with tears, she quickly turned and crept back to their bedroom. The nearer she got to the bed, the quicker she moved as she focused so hard on not breaking down or making a noise. She immediately threw herself onto the mattress and dragged the duvet over her, almost hiding. As she buried her face into the pillows, silent sobs wracked her body. It all seemed so simple when she first saw him earlier but she couldn't help but feel he felt just as far away now as he did when he was in Afghan.

 _ **XxXxX**_

Molly didn't know how long she led there silently crying…half praying he didn't come in and half hoping that he did and somehow knew how the fixes things….fix them but he didn't come back to bed. She had heard the floorboards creaking and his footsteps going down the stairs at about midnight but she stayed where she was until she dropped off to sleep again around 3am. Now it was almost 6am and she wondered whether he had sat up awake all night or whether he had slept on the sofa. Maybe he hadn't wanted to disturb her or maybe he couldn't face sharing a bed with her anymore.

She knew she would only get her answer by getting out of bed and going to find him. She needed to do something because there was no way she could face tiptoeing around each other for much longer. She'd rather get herself back on a train to London.

She pulled on one of his hoodies before slowly heading downstairs, making sure to be quiet just in case he was asleep. The kitchen was the only room that had a light on, telling her where she would find him. Pushing open the door further, she saw him sat at the kitchen table staring down into a glass of water but he looked up when he heard the door, meaning there was no chance for her to escape this time.

"Hey…" He said softly.

She felt her heart flutter a little when he smiled, putting her at ease slightly. "Hey….Couldn't sleep?"

"No…" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Must be the jetlag."

She gave a small nod but didn't quite believe him. "You on a detox or something?"

"What?" He shot her a confused look.

"Thought you'd be on your tenth cup of coffee by now?" She nodded to the glass on the table.

He let out a small laugh. "I forgot I used the last of it before I left for Nepal…"

"I should have got you some more when I was in London….Shit, sorry…I didn't think…"

"Don't worry about it…." He shook his head. "I could probably do without the caffeine anyway…"

"Still…I'm sorry." She sat down on the chair next to him.

"Well, I wouldn't feel too bad…We've got no milk either…so no tea." He automatically reached over and placed a hand over hers. "Think we'll have to go do some shopping sooner rather than later…The only edible thing we have is left over pizza from last night."

She smiled slightly, her eyes straying to where his thumb was tracing circles on the back of her hand. "Not sure I can stomach that this early…Not when I'm not hungover anyway."

When she looked up again, she saw he was studying her closely but she couldn't return the eye contact. Instead she stood up, pulling her hand out from under his and walked over to the fridge.

"You weren't kidding when you said we had nothing in…" She commented, seeing the contents of the fridge consisted of ketchup, half a bottle of 7up and the pizza. "Did you clean it?"

"Yeah, I was throwing away all the out of date food and thought I might as well while I was awake." He replied, staying seated but turned in his chair so he was facing her. "Sorted my kit too…put a couple of loads through the washing machine…Just needs drying."

She closed the fridge again and leaned back against it. "I was going to do that for you…I didn't think I would fall asleep so early…sorry."

"I wasn't expecting you too…" He told her. "Besides, you must have been tired."

"Yeah…" She moved across the kitchen and pretended to look through the stack of mail that had built up over the last few weeks.

"Molly…"

"Don't…" She whispered, keeping her back to him.

"Can we just…"

"No." She shook her head, cutting him off.

"But…"

She gripped tightly onto the counter when she realized he was stood right behind her. "I'm sorry…I can't…I thought I could do this but I can't…"

"Do what?" He questioned, concerned to see tears rolling down her face.

"This…. Talking about it…sorting things out but I can't…" She claimed. "I know we need to move on…I know that but I don't know how or if I ever can…"

"Hey, come on…" He put a hand on her shoulder, trying to turn her around to face him.

"No, this isn't right… this isn't us and I can't stand it…" She did turn but took a couple of steps backwards so there was some space between them.

"Molly, please…" He tried to reach out to her but again, she moved away.

"Can't talk about it….about her…I just can't cos I can't take it…" She sobbed. "I can't….Charles…I just can't!"

He had tears in his own eyes as he felt completely helpless at what to do. He felt a heavy weight in the centre of his chest as his heart hammered and it seemed like his lungs were unable to suck in enough oxygen.

"Molly…sweetheart…"

"I can't…" She whispered this time, her head shaking as she stumbled back until she fell against the fridge again.

"We don't have to talk…" He stated his voice rough with emotion as he crossed over to her.

"But…"

"But let me hold you?" He pleaded. "You don't have to talk…you don't have to promise me anything but let me hold you? Please?"

She didn't need to think about her answer, she instantly closed the space between them and crashed into him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly as she buried her face into his chest, tears coming harder and faster now.

He planted a few kisses onto her head in an attempt to calm her but it didn't work and he could no longer hold back his own tears. Instead, he settled for just holding her as tight as possible.

 **TBC**

 **So, still quite a long way for them to go…at least they're together but will it last?! Hmmm…**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you all for the review! The feedback knowing people are reading really does help with the getting the story updated.**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times**

Molly stayed in Charles' arms long after both of their tears had stopped. He didn't want to let her go; afraid that if he did then she would run again…or he would. So, instead they stood in the middle of their kitchen, taking a small bit of comfort from being held by each other.

"Let me buy you breakfast…" He murmured before he could stop himself.

"What?" She pulled back slightly to look up at him.

"Let's go out and get some breakfast…We can go to the Bakery." He suggested.

It was something they did regularly if they both were at home on the weekend. Sometimes when they had had a really busy week, Charles would get their order as a takeaway on his way back from his morning run and they'd eat it in bed.

"Come on… I'll get you a bacon sandwich and a chocolate muffin…You know you can't say no to that!" He teased slightly but saw she was still undecided. "I promise, we won't talk about it…you don't have to talk at all if you don't want to…I can tell you about my tour."

"What? About you nearly getting yourself blown up?" She questioned, causing a surprise look to cross his face.

"How do you know about that?" He asked, confused.

"Elvis." She admitted.

"Ah…Should have known he wouldn't keep his mouth shut." He rolled his eyes. "There was this kid who had a suicide vest strapped to him and all I could think about was when it was Bashara and how you knew that the best thing to do was to talk to her and keep her calm."

"He said you disabled the bomb…"

"There was a timer and the bomb disposal squad would never have made it on time…" He explained. "I had two options, either try and disable it or walk away…"

"I could have lost you too…" She whispered, her eyes filling again with fresh tears.

He leaned into her hand as she cupped his cheek gently before she moved it upwards, tracing the almost healed scar above his eyebrow.

"I couldn't walk away from him, Molly." He closed his eyes.

"I know." She swallowed the lump in her throat and leaned forward, resting her head against his chest again. She suddenly felt guilty about not asking about his tour and making sure he was okay but now they were talking about it, she couldn't help but feel a little relieved that the attention was on him and not her.

"Come on, come have breakfast with me." He asked again, tightening his hold on her. "Some fresh air will do us some good and I'm definitely in need of some food that's not army rations."

There was a part of her that felt if they went out and had breakfast like they used to do then it would be like forgetting all about Sarah but when she glanced up at him again, she saw in his eyes how much he wanted her to say yes.

"What about me? I've had to put up with me mum's cooking… "She teased lightly. "Still not sure how she manages to burn something which is still frozen on the inside…"

He laughed lightly. "So, can I tempt you with a bacon butty then?"

"Go on then…" She couldn't help but smile when his grin got bigger. "Don't forget about the muffin too…"

"I'll buy you every single cake they got."

She almost replied that all she needed was him but she knew he would be expecting some sarcastic comment like she always gave when he said something soppy and romantic.

"Alright, no need to overdo it." She was rewarded with a familiar smirk. "I'm gonna jump in the shower."

He brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it gently before letting go. She rolled her eyes at the gesture but couldn't stop a smile forming.

"I'll be right back." She told him, heading out of the kitchen and towards the stairs.

She still felt a heavy ball of anxiety in the pit of her stomach but she believed him when he promised she didn't need to talk about anything she didn't want to. She wasn't sure if they could get through breakfast without it being awkward but if there was a small chance it could be like it used to be, then she wanted to at least try.

 _ **XxXxX**_

They had decided to walk as it wasn't too far and they probably would have arrived before it opened otherwise as it was still early in the morning. They walked hand in hand in a comfortable silence and once they reached the bakery, Charles held the door open for her.

"Grab a table…I'll go order." He told her, squeezing her hand.

"Don't forget the ketchup." She replied, moving towards a sofa by the window.

Charles stood behind a man in a suit, who was ordering a coffee to go and when he looked around, he saw there was no one else there; at least there was one benefit for getting there just as they opened.

After ordering two bacon sandwiches, a chocolate muffin, a pot of tea and a strong black coffee he glanced at his mobile for any new messages. One from his mum, inviting them around for Sunday lunch and another from Elvis just checking in to make sure everything was okay. He quickly fired back a text to Elvis saying they were fine and thanking him but knew he couldn't accept his mum's invite without speaking to Molly first.

Molly was lost in her own thoughts when he placed a tray containing their drinks and the muffin on the coffee table in front of her.

"They're going to bring the sandwiches over." He said, sitting down beside her.

"Thanks…" She leaned forward, lifting the lid on the teapot and stirring it. "So, what happened on tour then? Elvis said you ended up in Afghan because you were tracking some kids?"

"They were taken from Nepal to Afghanistan by a child trafficking ring…Captain Azizi was in charge of the ANA team we were working with."

"And how was it? Being back there after what happened last time?" She questioned, feeling guilty for not asking sooner.

He shrugged and took a sip of his coffee as he thought about his reply. "I think the only thing that really got to me was I couldn't see how things were any better now to when I was first out there…"

"Really?" Molly raised an eyebrow at that comment; Charles had always been so positive about what they were doing in Afghanistan.

"Besides there was too much going on and it all moved so quickly, I really didn't have time to think too much about it." He added. "We were only meant to be there to capture the target but then Azizi got a tip off that they were expecting us…It came so close to being a complete disaster."

"Is that when the kid with the suicide vest turned up?" She asked as she leaned back against the couch, her hands wrapped around her cup.

"No because of Azizi's tip off we were able to apprehend members of the trafficking ring who gave up information about where some of the children were being held…. We supported the ANA but by the time we got there, they had cleared out…leaving all the kids behind…" He told her, frowning a little. "I've seen so many terrible things throughout my army career but seeing all those kids crammed into the smallest of rooms…starved of food and water …some beaten…I don't know... this tour just seemed harder…"

Molly listened silently, knowing the main reason he had found it so difficult was because of Sarah. She knew he would look at children differently now because she did too…it didn't matter whether they were babies like the ones she saw being pushed around the park or pre-teens like her siblings. She wondered whether he had the same dream like feeling but what she couldn't figure out was if her pregnancy was all a dream or if her life now was a nightmare she couldn't wake up from.

"Anyway, we were just getting the last of the kids on the trucks to head back to base when Zemar appeared…" He explained, noticing the slight look of confusion on her face at the unfamiliar name. "He was the boy wearing the explosive vest… he came out of nowhere…I was only planning on keeping him calm but then we found out there was a timer and bomb disposal were delayed…"

"Thank god you got that vest off…" She said quietly, thinking about Elvis' words to her a week ago. She really didn't think she would survive if she lost Charles but it was unthinkable to imagine it happening at a time when she was refusing to speak to him.

He silently debated with himself whether he should tell her about the baby they found abounded on the floor and who had been named in honour of their daughter. A sweet gesture from an old friend of theirs but right now, he wasn't sure whether Molly was ready to hear about baby Shararah yet.

Before Charles could say anymore, the waitress interrupted them by placing their bacon sandwiches on the coffee table in front of them.

"Can I get you anymore drinks?" She offered as she picked up Charles' empty coffee mug.

Molly was surprised to see that she had drunk all of her tea as well whilst listening to Charles. Despite her Mum making her countless cups over the past few weeks, she could hardly stomach any of them…now she was actually gasping for more.

A quick glance at her, Charles knew her answer without her needing to say. "Yes, same again please."

"No problem." The waitress cleared away their cups.

"Thanks" He replied, watching her walk off before turning and smiling at Molly. "You haven't heard the best bit yet…"

"Oh yeah, what's that then?" She glanced at him as she squirted ketchup on top of her bacon.

"Like I said, I was feeling a little unsure about what good we've done out there and after a conversation with Azizi, he arranged for some visitors…"

She frowned a little. "What? In Afghan? Who was it?"

"Here…" He picked up his mobile, flicking through his photo gallery. "Look."

Molly's eyes widened when she saw the picture of him stood with Qaseem and Bashira. She looked at him quickly before back at the phone again. Charles couldn't help but smile at her reaction, grateful for Brains for thinking of taking the snap and sending it on to him.

"Bashira gave me some letters for both you and Sam." He continued a little concerned at how quiet she was. "It was nice to see her again…to see her doing so well."

He almost breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a smile spread across her face. "You saw Qaseem and Bashira?"

"Yep and Bashira and I both agreed you're rubbish at Sang Chill Bazi."

"Oi! I'm not!" She protested jabbing him in the ribs before glancing at the phone again. "She's really okay?"

"She's happy, Molly…" He said softly. "Really happy and that's because of you…"

"I thought I ruined her life…"

He shook her head. "If she had stayed with her family then she would either be dead or would have been married off and probably have a couple of kids by now but instead she's had an education and wants to help other children who are just like her."

"Really?"

"Yes, she's even going to help Zemar…" He started but then stopped suddenly.

"What?" Molly questioned. "Help with what?"

"Doesn't matter…"

"No, come on…" She prompted, guessing from the look on his face that he was a little embarrassed by whatever it was. "What is it?"

"Fine…" He sighed. "Bashira and Qaseem are going to help Zemar write to me…That's all."

"That's nice…"

"It made him feel better about going to the orphanage…" Charles said a little defensively.

"Hmm-hmm…"

They were interrupted again by the waitress reappearing with their drinks and once they were left alone, Charles looked to Molly to see her fighting a smile.

"What?" He questioned.

"What?" She asked innocently, pretending to be focused on pouring her tea.

"You're smirking….what's so bloody funny?"

"Nothing…it's just…What happened to 'don't get in-fucking-volved'…." She mimicked him.

He rolled his eyes and picked up his sandwich. "I think that went out the window when my medic laughed at the word cockwomble."

Molly snorted, still unable to resist laughing whenever she heard the word, especially coming from him. She watched him as he ate his sandwich for a moment before leaning forward and pressed her lips against his cheek.

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "What was that for?"

"Nothing…you're just cute, that's all…" She answered with a shrug, biting into her own breakfast. "Is that a problem?"

"Not a problem at all, Dawes." He grinned.

"Good."

They enjoyed their breakfast leisurely, chatting and catching up with what they've missed over the last few weeks. As the bakery started to get busier, they decided to head home so while Charles was paying Molly headed into the ladies. She was washing her hands when she glanced at herself in the mirror and noticed a smile on her face which slowly started to fade. For the last hour or so, she had been able to relax and enjoy spending some time with the person she loved the most. The dull, suffocating weight she had felt ever since that last ultrasound had lifted slightly and just for a little while, she had been able to forget. Now guilt had started to creep over her…It still didn't feel right to be happy.

Charles was tapping away on his mobile when she exited and she couldn't help but return the smile he flashed when he spotted her.

"Ready?"

"Yeah…" She took hold of the hand he held out to her. "Let's go home."

 _ **XxXxX**_

They popped into a Tesco Express on their way home, grabbing a few essentials to get them through the next couple of days; both of them too tired to even think about doing a proper weekly shop. Once they got back to the house, Molly suggested he took a nap but he decided to push through the day in hope of getting a full night sleep. So instead, he busied himself with checking in with Major Beck, going through the post and catching up with his emails.

Whilst he was doing that, Molly decided they both could do with a proper home cooked meal so made a cottage pie ready to put in the oven later. She was just finishing the last of the washing up when he wondered into the kitchen.

"Hey, get everything sorted?" She asked, drying her hands.

"Yep…I've got to go in and see Beck on Monday but after that I'm officially on leave…" He told her.

"Well, that's good ain't it?"

"Yeah…" He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "It's just Elvis wasn't joking…the Brig is really putting me forward for a medal."

"For what you did for Zemar?"

"Yeah…"

"You don't want them too?" She guessed, confused. "You should be proud...what you did was brave…I know I'm proud of you."

He smiled a little at her praise. "I'm just not sure how brave it actually was…I think it was more desperation than anything else."

"What matters is that everyone got out alive and that little boy is safe….that's because of you." She said softly.

"I guess…" He sighed again. "It also means I'm being put through for a promotion…"

Her eyes widened and this time she crossed the room and threw her arms around him. "That's amazing!"

"Yeah…"

She pulled back a little to look up at him. "Isn't it? I thought this was what you wanted? What you've been working for?"

"It was…"

"Was?"

"Yeah, was…It's just I thought I had everything planned and I knew where I was heading…but now…I don't know…it all seems a little empty …unreal." He tried to explain, looking down to avoid eye contact and continued when Molly didn't reply. "Sounds stupid I guess…."

"No." She grabbed hold of both his hands. "I get it…"

She felt sick to her stomach when she realized she had ran and hid away from the one person who knew exactly what she was feeling because he was feeling the same.

"I really do…" She whispered when he finally looked back at her.

She closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around him again, laying her head against his chest. He pulled her closer, tightening his hold and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

"Moll…" He broke the silence after a few minutes and felt her tense. "We need to…"

"Why don't we stick a movie on?" She cut in as she stepped back, forcing a smile. "You can choose….and I'll make us some hot chocolate…"

"No, you go choose…I'll make the drinks." He said softly, knowing she didn't want to hear what he had to say. "Go on, you know you want to go change into your pyjamas too…"

This time, her smile was genuine. "You know me too well, Bossman."

"Yeah…I guess I do…"

She kissed his cheek as she made her way out of the kitchen. He waited until he heard her walking up the stairs before placing his hands down to lean on the counter and screwed his eyes shut tightly. After taking a few deep, shaky breaths, he stood up straight and wiped away a few tears that had managed to escape.

He pulled his mobile out and re-read the email he had found sitting in his inbox….The email he didn't know how to talk to Molly about….the email he was scared that would make her run from him again.

 **TBC**

 **Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey all, so sorry it's taken a while to update! Thing got busy over Christmas and then I started a new job! Plus, this chapter wasn't the easier to write (and I may have got distracted with some new story ideas!) Anyway, I hope you all had a lovely Xmas, although it does seem like a distant memory now!**

 **Please review!**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times**

When they first brought their house, Molly had loved picking out furniture and decorating while Charles happily agreed to anything she wanted but when it came to choosing the sofa he had insisted they get the biggest, softest and most expensive one in the shop. Molly hadn't been sure it would fit in their living room along with the large square footstool but now she had to admit, it had become her favourite place in the house. It was long and deep enough that they could fit on it stretched out together. Despite there being more than enough space from them both to spread out separately, they never did. She'd curl up next to him with her head on his chest or on his thighs while he rested his legs on the footstall but her favourite position was how they were led now. Both led on their sides, her back to his with her head tucked under his chin and his arms holding her.

When she had made the decision to go back to London, she thought she was too numb to everything and nothing could change that but being back with him felt right. She knew they had a lot to talk about otherwise they would end up drifting away from each other again but right now she just wanted to forget and enjoy feeling loved and secure.

She let out a small laugh at the movie they were watching and waited for him to make some comment; he always teased her about how bad her choice in films was. He had been silent since they had settled down and when she turned to look up at him, she expected to see him asleep but he wasn't.

"We can watch something else if you want…" She said softly, when she saw him staring ahead and paying no attention to the TV.

He looked down at her in surprise. "I'm sorry, what?"

She rolled over so she was facing him. "The film… if you don't fancy watching it…"

"No, it's fine…I'm sorry, I guess I was miles away…" He replied, tightening his arms around her.

"You don't have to stay awake and keep me company…I don't mind if you want to go up to bed." She told him. "You must be exhausted."

"No, if I sleep now I won't be able to tonight." He sighed quietly. "Besides, I don't think I'll be able to stop thinking enough to sleep anyway."

She glanced down when he slipped his fingers through hers and watched as his thumb traced a pattern against her wrist. She felt a shudder run through him as he tried to take a deep breath and when she looked up she saw he had his eyes closed but had tears running down his face.

"Charles?" She whispered, reaching up and placing a hand on his cheek.

He tried to give her a smile but couldn't quite manage it. "I'm sorry…."

"What is it?"

"I need to talk to you…Tell you something." He admitted. "But…"

"But what?"

"I don't want to upset you…" He told her. "Or hurt you….but before I went on tour I did something…."

She pulled away from him and sat up, her whole body tensed and her eyes looked anywhere but at him. "What was it? What did you do?"

He swung his legs off the couch and turned to face her. "I ordered a headstone…for Sarah…."

Her eyes snapped back to him. "What?"

"They emailed a couple of days ago to say it has been completed and installed at the grave…" He continued, forcing himself to swallow the lump that had risen in his throat. "I should have talked to you about it first…I should have waited but I couldn't leave her there without people knowing…."

"Knowing what?"

"That she existed….that she was someone's daughter…someone's little sister…someone's granddaughter…" He explained. "That she was ours."

Molly stared at him until her vision blurred with tears and she looked away in attempt to stop them from falling but it didn't work. A sharp pain stab through her chest and she tried to fight against the overwhelming urge to get to her feet to get as far away from this conversation as possible. The one thing that stopped her was his words that had started to run through her mind.

 _She was someone's daughter…someone's little sister…someone's granddaughter_

Of course she knew he was suffering and grieving, just like she was. That was also one of the reason she had gone back to London because she thought it would be easier for him and couldn't stand to see him hurting on top of her own pain. What she hadn't considered was the rest of their family. Not once has her Mum or Dad spoke about how they felt about losing their first Grandchild, nor had Charles' parents. Then there was Sam… Sweet, caring Sam who took becoming a big brother very seriously and had even asked Molly's advice on how to look out for younger siblings.

"Molly?" He covered one of her hands in both of his. "I'm sorry…I know you must be angry with me…"

"What's it like?" She managed to choke out.

He watched her for a moment, hoping she would look at him again but when she didn't, he reached out to pick up his mobile with one hand and used the other to brush away some tears from his own face. He scrolled through his emails until he found one with all the information about the headstone.

"Here's a picture of the design." He said softly, holding out his phone.

She took the phone with a shaky hand while trying to take deep, calming breaths but couldn't stop a sob escaping when she saw the image of a traditional upright headstone which was made out of a pinkish red granite. Engraved at the top in the centre was a pale pink S in a fairy-tale type font. A stone Teddy Bear sat at the bottom. She moved a little down the email to read the words he had requested, unable to stop a sob escaping.

 _Sarah Grace James._

 _A little flower lent not given, to bud on Earth and bloom in Heaven_

 _Held for a moment, missed for a lifetime._

 _Beloved daughter, sister and Granddaughter._

 _Born sleeping_

 _20.8.18_

"Molly…" Charles whispered, not being able to stand the silence any longer. He wished he hadn't said anything and he could go back to holding her in his arms again.

"It's beautiful." This time it was her who reached out to take his hand, squeezing it tightly. "It's perfect."

"Really?"

She nodded as her tears started to flow freely now and she allowed him to wrap his arms around her.

"I never said thank you…" She whispered, into his chest.

He frowned a little. "For what?"

"For everything you did…" She replied. "You made sure everything was dealt with."

He pulled back a little so he could look down at her. "Molly, you don't need to thank me for that!"

"I know she was yours too…" More tears fell as she lifted her face away from his chest. "I know everything you did after was because she was your little girl and I might not have acted like it but I do know that…"

"Molly…"

"I know you're hurting just the same as me and I'm sorry I haven't been there for you…" She continued. "I'm sorry I wasn't stronger…I'm sorry I left everything to you…"

She suddenly realized the only decision she had made was to leave…He was the one who made the phone calls to their families to tell them the devastating news…He had sorted everything out with her CO and arranged her sick leave and he had planned the funeral without her help.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you." She whispered.

"Hey, stop…you don't need to be sorry or thank me." He told her, his voice rough with emotion. "I wanted to do it…I needed to do it…and you went through so much, Molly… I hate that I couldn't take that pain away from you…that I couldn't begin to even understand what it was like for you…"

He reached up and cradled her face in his hands, his thumbs gently wiping away the tears that were still falling. His eyes searched hers, hoping to find an answer for how to help her. He slowly leaned forward until his forehead was resting against her and he couldn't stop his eyes from closing when she started to sob again and felt her hands grip his shirt tighter.

"It feels like I'm in this storm… that I keep going around and around….and I can't get free…It's like I'm drowning…" She admitted before trying to take a deep breath in an attempt to gain some control over her emotions but more sobs escaped, causing him to open his eyes again.

"I'm here." He whispered. "I'm always going to be here…"

"I know…"

He moved so he could wrap his arms around her tightly and ran a hand over her hair gently as she buried her face in his neck.

"Remember our first holiday?" He started. "Remember when we went in the sea and it wasn't until we were in the water that you confessed you couldn't actually swim?"

"I was bleeding terrified…and embarrassed…" She sniffed.

"I told you to just keep hold of me…that I would never let you drown." He continued. "And that promise still stands, Molly…. I will never let you drown…not then, not now …not ever…."

"We lost our baby, Charles." She broke. "We lost her and I just want to go back…I just want to hold her…to kiss her….I want her back."

He pulled her until she was sat on his lap and held her even tighter, resting his chin on the top of her head as he rocked her. He desperately wanted to stop his own tears so he could concentrate on looking after her and being strong for her but it was no good.

"I promise you….We will get through this…" His throat felt swollen as he stuttered slightly, struggling to get the words out. "I don't know how…but we will."

She didn't reply but he was just grateful that she stayed in his arms, still holding on tightly to him.

Eventually, her cries decreased into quiet sobs until she fell silent and when Charles pulled back a little to look down at her, he saw she was asleep. He contemplated laying her down on the sofa but decided against it. He wasn't ready to let her go just yet so instead, settled back against the cushions.

She didn't sleep for long and when she woke up, she was a little confused about where she was before it all come flooding back to her.

Charles felt her body tense as she fully woke. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" She tried to clear her throat, sitting up. "Sorry…"

"Don't be." He said softly, catching hold of her hand to stop her from pulling away completely.

She took a deep breath and rubbed her tired, scratchy eyes. "It's like I can't function anymore without breaking down…"

"I think that's pretty normal…" He replied. "It hasn't been that long…"

"I don't want to feel like this anymore." She mumbled.

"Maybe we should look into seeing someone…" He hesitated slightly before suggesting.

"What? Like a head doctor?"

"Maybe it'll help…" He shrugged a little, looking down at their joined hands.

She chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about it. She wasn't sure she was able to talking about Sarah to a stranger.

"We don't have to decide anything tonight." He stated, bringing her hand up to his lips to kiss it gently.

She gave a single nod and slipped off his lap to sit beside him. Again, she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up more before pulling her hairband out of her hair and re-tied it.

"I know we've talked a lot already…and I know you said you didn't want to talk and I told you, you didn't have to…" Charles started; he turned to sit sideways so he was facing her. "But can I ask you one more thing?"

"I've never been able to stop you before…" She tried to joke but he noticed she was avoiding looking at him again.

"How are you? I mean, physically…?"

"I'm fine." She replied instantly.

"Have you been back to the doctors?" He questioned.

"There's no point, is there?" She let out an annoyed sigh. "Nothing they could do now, anyway…"

"No but they can check that you're okay." He stated, in concern. "Molly, they said you would need to go back…"

"Why? So, they can tell me how much of a let-down I am?"

"What? What are you talking about?" He reached out and tried to turn her to face him. "You're not a let-down at all…"

"Then how come I lost our baby?" The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.

His eyes widened at the questioned and everything seemed to stand still, both of them shocked at what she had just said.

"Molly…"

"Forget it!" She cut in before he could say anything and stood up quickly. "It doesn't matter…"

"It does!" He followed her, taking hold of her arm to stop her from walking away. "You're not a let-down…not at all…and what happened wasn't your fault…"

"You don't know that." She whispered, her eyes refilling with fresh tears.

"I do."

"But what if I did do something? What if I over did it or ate the wrong thing or…."

"Stop!" He said firmly and he felt a flash of guilt when his raised voice startled her but it worked and she fell silent. "I don't know why our baby died, Molly and I don't think I'll ever be able to understand it but the one thing I do know, is no one loves her more then you do…I know you would have done anything to protect her and keep her safe…"

"But I didn't, did I…otherwise; she'd still be alive, wouldn't she…"

He shook his head slightly. "It wasn't your fault…The minute you realized something wasn't right, we went to the hospital…"

"That's the whole point though, ain't it….she was already gone by then and I never even noticed..."

"Do you trust me?"

"What?" She frowned, thrown by the sudden change of subject.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes." She answered honestly, without hesitation.

"Then please, trust me when I say this was not your fault." He insisted, taking hold of both her hands and gripping them tightly. "You did nothing wrong and there was nothing you could have done to stop it."

She stared up at him with tear filled eyes. "Do you really believe that?"

He nodded and tried his hardest to keep his voice steady, so she would truly knew he meant what he was saying. "I do…I think it's incredibly sad and heart breaking...As much as I hate it, I don't think there was anything anyone could have done."

"But why?" She whispered. "Why her?"

"I don't know, Moll…" He brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Maybe when we get the post-mortem results, we might have some answers but we may also have to accept that we'll never know…"

"I'm just scared…" She mumbled, leaning in closer to him but couldn't look at him. "About why..."

"I know…" He hugged her, resting his chin on the top of her head and ran a hand soothingly up and down her back. "But you're not to blame, Molly."

"I wish I could believe you…but I just don't know…" She said quietly. "If I did go and see someone….you know, to talk about it…Would you come with me?"

"Of course." He answered. "I'll do whatever you need me to do…"

"100 per cent by my side, boss?" She tried to lighten a mood, glancing up at him.

He gave her a small smile. "Always."

"Thank you." She stood on her tip toes so she could press her lips against his.

"Look, it's been a long day and I don't know about you but I could do with a good meal and an early night…" He started. "So, I'm going to put that cottage pie you made in the oven and sort some veg to go with it..."

"Veg?" She pulled a face.

"It's good for you…you're as bad as Sam!" He couldn't help but laugh.

"Do you want some help?" She asked, catching hold of one of his hands.

"I think I can handle a bit of chopping…" He kissed the top of her head. "Why don't I get you those letters from Bashira and Qaseem?"

"I forgot about those."

She followed him out to the kitchen and silently watched as he opened the fridge and pulled out the bottle of white wine they had picked up earlier. After pouring two large glasses, he picked up one and two envelopes before holding both out to her.

"Go and relax…." He told her. "Read your letters and I'll call you when dinner is ready?"

She smiled gratefully at him as she took them. As much as she thought she didn't want to talk about it to anyone, she did actually feel better. Maybe he was right…maybe it would be a good idea to go back to the doctors and speak to someone.

"Can we go and see her tomorrow?" She asked quietly. "Put some flowers or something on her grave?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

She gave him another smile before turning and heading back out of the kitchen.

Charles rubbed his tired eyes and took a deep breath. Even though he felt both emotionally and physically drained, he couldn't help but feel like they had turned a corner. He just hoped it would last and she wouldn't start to shut him out again.

 _ **XxXxX**_

The next day, despite the bright blue sky, it was bitterly cold. When Charles suggested they took a blanket to sit on and a flask of hot chocolate, Molly thought he was mad. They were going to their daughter's grave for the first time, not out for a picnic but she was surprised at how nice it felt as she watched Charles arrange the flowers they had picked up on the way.

She thought she would find it hard and would turn into a sobbing mess again but she actually felt calm and peaceful. She had noticed the other graves around them had flowers, ornaments and other decorations and she wanted to that for their little girl. She wanted this to be a place not only where they could remember her but also include her in any celebrations.

"You okay?" Charles glanced back at her, noticing how quiet she had been since they reached the cemetery.

"Yeah, just you were right…" She nodded. "She deserves to have somewhere where we can all come and remember her….and so that people knew she existed….It's like she'll always be here."

He turned to face ner, looking at her for a moment. "There's something I missed out from what happened on tour…"

"What? Is it about Bashira?"

"No, it was when we were getting the kids out…We found a baby...She was tiny…barely weighed anything." He ran a hand through his hair. "Once we were back to base, I was helping feed her and I asked Malik…one of the ANA medics, what her name was but he didn't know and said the orphanage would take care of it…It just didn't seem fair, this beautiful little girl had nothing…not even a name."

Molly couldn't help but feel angry and a little bitter. Angry that people would treat kids that way when her daughter, who she just wanted to love and take care of, was taken away.

"The next day before they were taken to the orphanage, Malik told me that Qaseem had named her." He continued. "They called her Shararah."

Molly's eyes widened a little. "Qaseem did that?"

Charles nodded. "I know it's not the same and Sarah could never be replaced but there is a little girl out in the world that is named in her memory…So, she has definitely has had an impact on more than just our family."

"I can't believe he did that." She whispered.

"And he said he's going to try and keep looking out for her." Charles added.

"Another future pen pal?" Molly joked causing Charles to smile and relax; he wasn't sure what kind of reaction to expect.

"You never know…" He moved back to arranging the flowers. "At this rate, we're going to have half of Afghan writing to us."

She frowned when she saw Charles opening a small coffee jar and poured out what looked like dirt and sand by the headstone.

"What's that?" She asked.

She noticed the slight look of embarrassments cross his face, just like when he told her about Zemar.

"Something Qaseem said gave me the idea…" He shrugged a little as he moved back to sit beside her on the blanket.

"What was it?" She questioned, watching him pour a cup of hot chocolate for them to share.

"We were just talking about Afghanistan…" He started, handing her the cup. "He said he hoped that one day we would be able to go back there and show our family where we feel in love…We're never going to be able to take Sarah with us so I thought I'd bring a little bit of Afghan back just for her."

"You brought dirt back from Afghanistan?"

"Yeah, it's a place that is a big part of us." He shrugged. "And I wanted our daughter to be apart of it to."

Molly looked back at the grave for a moment before shifting closer to him and led her head against his chest.

"Do you really think we'll be able to?" She asked quietly, sipping the hot chocolate. "You know, Afghan be peaceful enough for us to take our family?"

"I don't know…" He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. "But I really hope so."

 **TBC**

 **This seems like a good place to stop….Only kidding! Still a lot more to come! Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey all, how you doing? Hope you're all safe! What did you think of the new episode? I didn't hate it but was disappointed we never got an explanation to what happened at the end of the last series. (plus I miss CJ!).**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times**

Maisy took a quick look around as she exited the jeep; seeing there was no one there, she slumped back against it. The Brigadier didn't hold back after hearing the report Bones had given about what happened in Nigeria. No one was happy with 2 Section for ruining the 6 months operation that Special Forces were involved with. Maisy had even felt a little sorry for their Captain who had taken the brunt of the anger from both the Brig and Bones. Now she had been sent to play chauffeur before dawn for some officer who had flown out especially to meet with the Brig.

"Standards really have slipped if your Captain lets you get away with standing around like that."

The voice behind her startled her but she quickly recovered and immediately spun around to face him. As she stood to attention, she couldn't stop a smile crossing her face.

"Bossman!" She greeted her old Captain.

"You got taxi duty then?" Charles threw his Bergen into the back of the jeep.

"Are you back, boss? With 2 Section I mean?" Maisy questioned, excitedly.

"Sorry, Richards…I'm just here on a flying visit to meet with the Brigadier." Charles answered, as he slipped into the passenger seat.

"But Boss, it's not the same without you." She argued, getting behind the wheel.

"From what I hear, you lot are still getting yourselves into all kinds of trouble without me…" He replied.

"We're all really chuffed you got your promotion, boss, honest…" Maisy continued as she started up the engine. "But we're also a bit gutted that you're not our captain anymore."

"I appreciate it, Richards but it was time for me to move on."

After returning from his last tour, he had decided to take some time off so both him and Molly could get the help they needed. It had been tough and there were still long painful days when they'd think about their daughter and the life they should be living but six months on, they were in a much better place.

Charles didn't think it would have been possible but he actually felt a lot closer to his wife and their relationship seemed to be so much stronger than before. He knew how close they came to losing each other and that alone made him want to try his hardest to never let that happen again.

He hadn't been all that surprised when Molly admitted to him that she was done with the army. He knew it was something she had been considering before they decided to try and get pregnant. It had been why he had been so concerned about her taking that tour to Syria. He would have never stopped her from doing something she loved but he knew she would have only gone to escape what had happened. He was more than relieved when she decided to stay home and look at going back to school. She still wasn't sure what she wanted to do after that but whatever it was, he would back her all the way.

Like predicted and despite his reluctance, Charles was rewarded for freeing Zemar from that suicide vest. He was issued with a silver bar to pin on the Military Cross he had already received from his efforts to save Geraint Smith.

His promotion happened quickly afterward that but because his extended leave, he had only just started his new post. His leave had also meant that he didn't get chance to say goodbye to 2 Section, who now had a new Captain and if the rumours were true, he wasn't doing too well.

The one thing he liked about his new role was that it was UK based. A few years back, he would have hated the idea of never going on tour again but now he craved being able to go home at the end of the day to his wife and to be able to be there for his son whenever he needed him.

The only reason he had come out here was at the Brigadier's request to go over the report on what happened in Afghanistan. Charles had been surprised, he had thought it was all done and forgotten about before he went on leave but apparently, there had been some developments that needed looking into and since the Brig was overseeing the training exercises being held out in Belize that is where Charles had been sent. Although, he wasn't at all convinced the Brig didn't have an ulterior motive.

The one thing that had surprised him was at how hard it had felt leaving home. He had never experienced that going on tour before… There were always times when he had missed his wife and son terribly and he had counted down the days until he got to see them again but he had always been at ease at being away. He began to wonder whether he should be following Molly and looking for a future in something other than the army.

"You're not sprogged up, are you sir?"

Maisy's questioned broke into his train of thought. It was one thing he had noticed about Richards early on that she could have a whole conversation without the other person joining in.

"If by sprogged up, you mean, do I have children?" Charles guessed at what she was asking. "Then, yes…A boy….and a girl."

He had decided during that last tour in Afghan as he fed baby Shararah that he would never not include Sarah when he was talking about his children. She was his daughter and was always going to be.

"Really?" Maisy grinned, looking across at him quickly before back to the road. "I bet they're posh, ain't they…just like Prince George and Princess Charlotte."

"Yes, exactly like that." Charles forced a chuckle but immediately fell silent and turned his gaze out of the window as Maisy carried on talking.

Despite how far they had come and it being almost 9 long months since that last scan, he still felt the loss just as painful as if it was yesterday. All he wanted to do now was find out what the Brigadier wanted and then get back home to his family.

 _ **XxXxX**_

It was still early in the morning when Charles got called in to see the Brigadier and as he stood to attention in front of his boss' desk all he could think of was that he was going to kill bloody Elvis.

Apparently, his friend had wanted to do the right thing for the first time in his life and confessed about his feelings and relationship with Georgie. Now Charles was being questioned on whether or not he knew about it while they were in Afghan.

"Sir, I was aware they had a history which I documented in my own report but their relationship ended over 4 years ago and since then Harte's team has worked alongside Lane and 2 Section in Kenya…He was involved in her rescue mission…I raised concerns then but as with Afghanistan, it was too late to get another Special Forces team out there." Charles answered. "Besides, as far as I'm aware at the time they were not in a relationship and were both able to do their jobs…"

"Do you think either of them was distracted during the two missions your section were sent on."

"No, sir." Charles replied without hesitation. "We had some tough calls to make and not a lot of time to make them in but every member of Section 2 and Special Forces pulled together."

The Brigadier leaned back in his chair and studied Charles for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. "Take a seat, Major."

Charles did as he was told but still didn't relax.

"How are you doing now after your leave?"

"Better, sir." Charles answered. "I think I just needed more time to get my head around everything that had happened."

"That's understandable…" The Brig nodded. "And your wife? I hear she has decided to leave the army."

"Yes, Sir…It's something she's been thinking about for a while now." Charles told him. "I think us both being at home together gave us both chance to think about our future."

Before the conversation could go any further there was a knock on the door but they both stayed seated as the Brig called for the visitor to enter. Charles resisted rolling his eyes when he saw Georgie and her new CO, Captain Murphy enter the cabin and once again, wondered what exactly the Brig had planned.

"Ah, good…come on in…"

They both stood to attention in front of the Brig, beside where Charles' was sat and saluted.

"At ease." The Brig granted.

Charles noticed Georgie's eyes flick towards him quickly before looking ahead again. She was obviously surprised to see him there.

"Captain Murphy, have you met Major James before?"

"No, Sir." The Captain shook his head.

"Well, as you're probably aware he was 2 Section's captain until 6 months ago."

"Yes, sir…" Murphy replied.

"I asked Major James here because I needed to discuss the missions in Afghanistan which he led 2 Section in." The Brig explained. "And I figured after the mess in Niagara he may be able to lend you some advice."

"Sir." Was all Murphy said but Charles could tell he wasn't happy with the suggestion.

The Brig reached for a file from his desk and studied it for a moment before speaking without looking up. "Now Lane, I'm going to be direct here and I would like an honest answer…"

"Sir." Georgie nodded, standing up a little straighter.

"Are you in a relationship with Captain Harte?"

Charles noticed a surprise look cross Georgie's face; that obviously wasn't the question she was expecting.

"I uh…" She stuttered a little. "We've been on some dates in the last few months, Sir…"

"Where any of these dates before your last mission in Afghanistan?"

"No, Sir." She claimed instantly.

"So, nothing at all happened in Afghanistan?" This time he did look up.

Georgie paused for a moment before answering carefully but honestly. "He had asked if we could meet for a coffee once we were both back in the UK."

"In this report it says you got involved with some of the local children in Nepal and that was what led to your section being deployed to Afghanistan." The Brig stated.

"Sir…"

"Where you undertook 2 missions….the first could have led to loss of life if it wasn't for the good intel of the ANA and the second where your Captain was forced to put his life on the line for a child…"

"Sir, I don't think that completely fair…." Charles tried to cut in in Georgie's defence but the Brig just held up a hand to stop him.

"And what I would like to know is whether or not your judgement was clouded because you were distracted…"

"No, Sir." Georgie answered firmly. "I was focused on the job in hand and that was to help the people in Nepal, including the children that were trafficked to Afghanistan."

The Brig looked through the paperwork again. "A six month undercover Op was also interrupted because you got too close with the local people…according from both your current captain and your former it seems you have trouble with getting too involved…"

"I was doing my job…Sir." Georgie answered.

"Hmm… Well, I'll be keeping a close eye on you Lance Corporal…" The Brig warned. "And especially in today's exercise."

"Yes, Sir…"

"Captain Murphy, as this is a medic led exercise and your section will be split into 2 teams, you'll be a medic short…" The Brig stated and Charles started to get a bad feeling. "Major James here goes on a medic course before every tour so I thought it would be a good idea for him to join you…"

A surprised look crossed Murphy's face as he looked between the Brig and Charles. "Sir, I really don't think…"

"It gives 2 Section an opportunity to work with Major James one last time now that he has transferred…." The Brig spoke over his objections. "And Lane can show us just how well she does her job."

Charles could see that neither Lane nor Murphy was happy with the situation and he wasn't either. This would definitely hold him up getting back home. He knew the Brig was up to something more than wanting to debrief on what happened in Afghanistan.

"Right, you better go get ready." The Brig dismissed them. "Major James, stick around for a moment."

Charles knew there was no point in trying to reason with his boss; when he had made his mind up about something, nothing was going to change it.

"Stop looking like that…this is a short exercise and then you can return to the UK to start your new post." The Brig said as if he read Charles' mind.

"It would help if I knew why you wanted me to do this, Sir…"

"Captain Murphy and 2 Section have not been getting on…" The Brig sat back in his chair. "What I want to know is, is it 2 Section being difficult or is Murphy incapable of being a leader."

"2 Section are a good bunch, Sir." Charles claimed. "I'm sure this is just some communication issue…"

"Well, I want it fixed." The Brig stated, picking up his pen. "If there are troublemakers within that section I want you to straighten them out or ship them off…"

"Yes, Sir…" Again, he knew there was no point arguing. He would do the exercise and report back to the Brig what he already knew. Which was, when it mattered 2 Section pulled together and got the job done. Plus a few words with his old section about growing up and listening to their CO would not do any harm either.

"Good…now you have an hour before the exercise starts…."

Charles took the hint and stood up. "Thank you, Sir."

As he exited the cabin, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through the contacts until he got to the name he was looking for.

"It's 2am in the goddamn morning!" An annoyed, sleepy voice answered.

"You don't need to say AM and in the morning…" Charles replied as he made his way across the camp in search for some coffee.

"What?"

"AM means morning…" He explained. "So, saying 2am in the morning is redundant…because you can't get a 2am in the afternoon."

"Fuck off, Charlie…"

He couldn't help but smirk at getting the response he was after from his best mate.

"What was so important you had to wake me up, anyway?" Elvis yawned. "Everything alright?"

"Yes, apart from getting dragged out to Belize to be interrogated by the Brigadier about your relationship with Georgie!"

"Huh?" Elvis replied in confusion.

"The Brig, now that he knows about your relationship he's investigating whether or not either of you was distracted in Afghan."

"Seriously?" Charles knew he had Elvis' attention now. "What the hell?!"

"You told the Brig and didn't give me the heads up?" Charles added. "He was questioning whether I was too involved in my sections personal life to make the right calls when it came to bring professional."

"Shit, Mate…I'm sorry!" Elvis replied. "I was just trying to do the right thing…you know, make sure everything was done properly this time…"

"You could have least warned us…" Charles continued. "Georgie looked more surprised than I did…"

"You've seen Georgie?" Elvis questioned. "How is she? She okay? Did she say anything about me?"

"Oh for fuck sake…" Charles rolled his eyes as he entered the mess tent.

"What? We haven't had much chance to sort us out yet…with her wanting to take things slow and then going on tour…" Elvis stated defensively. "In the six months since getting back together we've been on like 3 dates…"

"Yet you decided to broadcast it to the Brigadier!"

"You're the one who is always telling me to do things the right way!"

"But how is it I always end up to my neck in it whether you do the right or the wrong thing?!"

"Cos you're my best mate?"

Charles sighed as he finally found a hot pot of coffee. "Maybe it's time I looked for some better mates…"

"Nah, you love me."

"Whatever." Charles replied as he poured the coffee into a mug.

"So, Georgie…."

"I haven't had chance to speak to her..." Charles cut in. "But the Brig is not happy with 2 Section for their role in the collapse of Special Forces' operation."

"Spanner filled me in on that…" Elvis sniggered. "Our old mate, Bones was out for blood…Hey, is he still around? Don't forget to bring up the sword if you see him…"

"No, he's not here, thank god!" Charles answered. "I've got enough problems without adding McClyde to it!"

"Well, I'll be back with my team soon and he can go back to where he came from."

Elvis had decided to take 12 weeks off when Debbie had been in a car accident and broke both her legs so Elvis had stepped in to help out with looking after Laura. Then he spent a couple of months testing recruits who had made it through to Special Forces selection but now he couldn't wait to get back to what he did best.

"So, was that what you woke me up for?" Elvis questioned. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"No, I need you to do something for me…" Charles replied. "The Brig is making me join 2 Section on their exercise today and it's starting before Molly wakes up so can you give her call and let her know I'll call her when I'm done."

"You didn't have a problem waking me up in the early hours…"

"Yeah but I like her more then I like you."

"Fine, I'll let her know." Elvis told him. "Have fun running around the jungle…."

Charles rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, I'm sure I'm going to love it."

As he hung up the phone, he heard the sound of people approaching and turned just in time to see 2 Section enter the tent, minus Captain Murphy.

"Hey, look! Richards wasn't joking! The Bossman is back!" Rab exclaimed.

"Right, you bunch of muppets…what have you been up to?" Charles greeted them as they crowded around, not missing that Georgie hung back.

"Nothing, Boss!" Brained claimed. "We've been on our best behaviour…honest."

"Yeah, well the trouble for you, is that I know what your best behaviour actually is."

"So, is it true, Sir? You're joining us again?" Kingy asked.

"Just for today….I'll be going on the medics led exercise then I'm off back home."

"Couldn't resist one last mission with us, hey, Boss." Monk joked.

"Couldn't ignore an order more like." He replied, raising an eyebrow. "As tempting as it was."

"Aw come on, Boss… We're all back together…except Fingers who's abandoned us for Special Forces selection." Maisy stated.

"Yeah, I heard about that…good for him." Charles watched as Georgie filled her mug with tea before moving to one of the tables.

She obviously wasn't too happy with how the meeting with the Brig went but he knew sometimes you just had to take a dressing down and move on.

"Right, you lot…you haven't got a lot of time left so don't be late." Charles picked up his mug and headed for the door.

He found a secluded spot where he could drink his coffee in peace. He thought back to Afghan and how despite everything that was going on; he had felt comfortable being on tour…it felt right. Now he felt like he was a million miles away where he wanted to be…Maybe it was time for him to really think about what he wanted to do with his future and whether the army was in it.

 _ **TBC**_

 **I hope you liked it…Similar to what we saw on the show but Charles is different and in this fic has gotten some help with dealing with everything but will that make a difference to what happens on the exercise?! Hmmm we'll have to see! (Don't freak out…this is not a CJ / G fic !).**

 **In the latest update for my fic, 'Bailey's Story' I made a suggestion that we try and escape the scary real world by doing a challenge, so for anyone who missed it:**

 **I'll give you all a story prompt and anyone who fancies writing it can and then they give all their readers a story prompt! What do you think?**

 **Okay, the prompt for everyone is:**

 _Molly's sick and Charles looks after her_

 _(can be set anytime, anywhere and anyhow! Romance, angst, funny…whatever genre )_


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi all, thank you all so much for the reviews! It's been a tough, long week but I love writing this story so it has really helped. I hope you're all well and staying safe!**

 **This chapter, is based on what happened in the show but a little different to fit in with my storyline.**

 **Hope you like it!**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times**

"Right, let's get going!" Murphy ordered as they jump down from the truck that dropped them at the start location. "I not only want to win this thing but beat the best time recorded."

"But let's remember, getting the casualty back safely is the important thing here." Charles added.

"Of course, Sir." Murphy replied. "But this is also a timed exercise…"

Charles sighed but said no more, hanging back a little as he followed behind Brains, Richards and Murphy. The captain was obviously trying to prove a point after what happened in Nigeria. Charles couldn't blame him and knew the Brig would be impressed if they completed this task in good time. So, he decided for the time being he would allow Murphy to take charge and observe him with the rest of the team. From what he had seen so far, he wondered whether 2 Section and their new captain were still just trying to get used to each other.

He had to pick up the pace a little to keep up with the others, trying to be mindful of where he stepped. He knew he would have to pull rank and get them to slow down if Murphy tried to push them much faster but wanted to give him a chance first.

"Come on, let's push ahead!" Murphy called without even glancing back to see if his team was still with him.

"We made a good start, Captain…" Charles replied. "We don't need to rush this…"

"But…"

"It'll take us longer if we don't pay proper attention to where we're going and get lost." Charles continued. "Or if one of us gets injured."

Murphy slowed to a stop, taking on board the advice and reached for the map that Brains had been holding.

"We need to work as a team."

"Yes, Sir." Murphy looked up from the map. "I think we need to go this way…Brains?"

Brains looked at the map, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that looks right to me."

"Lead the way…" Charles added, pleased to see the Captain slow down a little and listened to his team.

As they moved in the direction that Murphy suggested, Charles wondered how the other team was getting on. Georgie also seemed to want to make a good impression but Charles trusted Kingy to keep her, Monk and Rab safe.

He couldn't help but feel guilty for how the Brigadier had taken his report. Georgie may have gotten too involved with the kids in Nepal but because of that they were able to save all those children being held by the trafficking ring. Plus, it had given him chance to not only see Azizi and Qaseem but to also see how well Bashira was doing. It was reassuring to know that despite the horrors of war, he had helped make a difference in someone's life. He was also incredibly proud of his wife, knowing that if it wasn't for her then Bashira may not be alive and helping making a difference to other children who were like her.

Since that last tour, they had received letters from Qaseem, Bashira and Zemar. All of them were doing well and Zemar had even started to go to school. He was grateful he had been in a position to help them but now running around a jungle in Belize, it just didn't seem worth being away from his own family for so long.

When they found the dummy patient, Charles glanced at his watch and saw they had made good time. If all things went well, they might just have a shot at beating the record.

"Richards, you assist me, Captain Murphy get on the radio and inform them we've reached the casualty then you and Brains work out the best way back?" Charles said as he knelt on the floor.

"Boss." Richards moved down next to him as he pulled supplies out of the Bergen.

They assessed the dummy for injuries and treated what they could before carefully transferring it to the stretcher.

"We're almost ready to go…" Charles glanced over his shoulder to see Murphy and Brains still huddled over the map.

"Yep, so are we…" Murphy replied, folding up the map.

"Everything alright, Brains?" Charles asked, noticing a concern look on the private's face.

Brains glanced between the captain and major, hesitating slightly but then shook his head. "All fine, Sir."

"Okay, good…" Charles answered, although he wasn't convinced.

"We're all ready, Boss." Richards reported as she finished putting the supplies back into the Bergen.

"Right, Richards and Murphy you two carry the stretcher…Brains, you lead the way…you might need to cut a path through some of the branches." Charles stood up, swinging the med Bergen onto his back.

"Sir." Brained nodded.

"Sir, I think I should take the lead…" Murphy started to protest. "As captain of this section…."

"It's a medic led exercise, Captain and I'm acting as your replacement medic." Charles stated simply.

He knew Murphy was keen to get back before the other team but he didn't want to risk anything going wrong now. He knew he could trust Brains to keep them going at a steady but safe pace.

"Sir." Murphy knew he couldn't argue; not only was Charles their medic but he was also a Major.

"Let's go." Charles gestured to Brains to move forwards.

After a few minutes, Charles grew concerned as they seemed to be going deeper into the jungle.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" He called out, jogging alongside the stretcher in pretence of keeping watch over the patient.

"This way is quicker." Murphy replied. "A shortcut."

"What? I've already told you that we can't rush this!"

"Its fine, Sir…Trust me…"

Charles moved faster as Murphy increased his speed, moving past Brains.

"Captain, we need to stop and reassess the map!" Charles shouted.

"Another few minutes and we'll be back on the track but would have shaved off 10 minutes!" Murphy ignored him.

Richards had little choice but to keep up with Murphy as she was on the other end of the stretcher but now Brains was in line with Charles.

"I tried to tell him, Boss…" He claimed. "But he wouldn't listen…he just wants to win."

Charles opened his mouth to order Murphy and Richards to stop but before any words came out he felt his foot make contact with something hard and heard a loud snap. His whole body jolted and fell into a tree as he felt a white hot pain ripped through his body.

Maisy immediately dropped the stretcher and turned back when she heard the agonizing scream. Her eyes widened in horror at what she saw but quickly raced back as Brains tried to hold Charles upright.

"Boss!" She shared a panicked look with Brains and then to Murphy who had ran back too but now seemed to be frozen in shock as Charles continued to scream in pain. "Stay still, boss! Just hold on!"

"Get onto comms!" Brains shouted at their captain, wondering why he was just stood there. "He needs help now!"

Brain's raised voice startled Murphy slightly but it made him spring into action, pulling out the radio.

"Shit…it's gone through and through…" Maisy told Brains. "What do we do?"

Brains shook his head slightly, having no answer but tightened his hold when he felt Charles start to fall.

"Boss, you gotta stay still!" Maisy tried to tell him.

Time seemed to stop and none of them even heard approaching footsteps over Charles' cries and Murphy's attempts to get through on the broken comms.

"Here, quick!" Kingy called back to Georgie, Monk and Rab.

Maisy almost felt like crying in relief when she saw them rushing towards them.

"Boss?!" Georgie immediately dropped to her knees to examine him.

"He stepped on some kinda trap…." Maisy rambled. "We tried to keep him still….but I didn't know what to do!"

"You did good…" Georgie glanced up to reassure her before turning her attention back to the wound. "Here, cut open his trousers."

She was aware of Murphy informing them that he couldn't get through on the comms and Kingy telling him and Monk to keep trying.

"It's gone through the bone…I can't risk removing it." Georgie stated, pausing for a second to decide what the best thing to do next was. "Okay, let's cut him down…."

She reached into the med Burgan, pulling out some morphine as Maisy, Brains and Rab did as she instructed.

"Okay, boss…I'm going to give you something for the pain." She told him, trying her best to ignore his screams as she injected him. "Okay, let's lie him down…"

"How is he, Lane?" Kingy questioned.

She shook her head gently, trying to tell him it was bad without saying it out loud. She started to instruct Maisy on what she needed and began to treat Charles the best she could.

"We'll have to carry him out …" Kingy started to say when Georgie cut in.

"There is no way he is making it up there…" She stated. "This part of the jungle is too thick…"

"We can cut a path." The Sergeant suggested.

"I can't risk knocking his leg…"

"We got the stretcher to here okay…" Murphy joined them.

"Yeah, well thank god it was a dummy then!" Georgie replied. "He needs to be medevacked from here….there is no other option…"

"Sir, I really think…" Kingy turned to look at Murphy but Georgie cut him off.

"You should all go back and sort the medevac out."

"I'll stay with you…" Kingy replied.

"There's no need…" She stated calmly. "Get everyone back safely and then come back and get us…you know our coordinates."

"Sir…"

"And that's my opinion, Sir…" Georgie also looked at Murphy. "As the medic."

Murphy hesitated, looking between the two of them. "This is a medic led exercise."

"With respect, Sir it stopped being an exercise when Major James got injured!" Kingy argued.

"Even so…Major James himself insisted that we put everyone safety first… "

"And what about his safety?" Kingy asked, glancing down and was pleased to see that although his old CO was obviously still in tremendous pain, it looked like the morphine had kicked in. His screams had stopped and been replaced with groans as he attempted to get his breathing under control.

"Everyone listen up…" Murphy called out, ignoring Kingy. "We need to get back and raise the alarm as quick as possible so let's get moving!"

"Sir…"

"And that's an order, King!"

"Georgie, do you want me to stay?" Maisy offered.

"No, go with Kingy and the others…"

"You sure?"

"Richards, Brains…On me! Let's go, now!"

They both shared a look but turned to follow their captain."

"It'll be alright, boss…" Georgie said softly once they were alone. "They won't be long…"

Charles tried to focus on her but his head was spinning so much that he closed his eyes in an attempt to stop it….

 _Suddenly he was on his feet, stood alone in the middle of the jungle. There was still a searing pain in his leg but somehow he was able to step forward without any problems. He looked around but there was no one there but him. Just as he opened his mouth to call out, he heard a small giggle behind him. Turning again, he saw a little girl who could have only been about three years old stood watching him, peeking out from behind a tree._

 _A smile slowly grew on his face as the girl started to run towards him. With brown curls, beautiful green eyes and a smile just like her mothe's, he knew instantly who she was…It was Sarah…his baby girl. Her white dress looked too bright and clean compared to their dark surroundings of the jungle._

 _When she reached him, she gently took hold of his hand and started to pull him along the path. He went willingly, knowing he would follow her anywhere and as they pushed through some bushes, he saw a blanket spread out on the ground._

 _She looked up at him and grinned before letting go of his hand and running over to the blanket. He grinned at her when she picked up a plastic tea pot and a tea cup, holding them towards him. He made his way over to her as quick as he could and lowered himself to sit crossed legged on the blanket opposite her. He didn't care about the pain that was still running through his leg nor the fact he was feeling hotter and hotter….He didn't care because he was having a tea party with his little girl._

His eyes suddenly snapped open and all he could see was parts of the bright blue sky through the canopy of trees. He shut his eyes again and took a shaky breath when he realized it was only Georgie with him.

"I need more pain relief…" He said quietly.

"They'll be here soon." She tried to reassure him.

"I'm burning up…" He added, knowing that was not a good sign.

"Yeah, you have a fever…" She placed a hand on his forehead. "That's normal with a fracture…"

They both turned their heads and froze when they heard a noise. "Might be a wild boar…"

"Or them coming back for us with help…" Georgie suggested, hopefully.

Charles tried to focus as an officer and suddenly realized how expose they were. "Move me…We're not safe…move me, Lane."

It took all his strength not to start screaming as Georgie dragged him behind some trees but they could now hear people approaching and he knew for certain, it wasn't 2 section. He had no idea how he managed to stay silent as they hid, waiting for whoever it was to passed them by.

When Ezra turned up, Charles hated that they had to rely on his help to keep them safe. Although, he was pretty sure the younger man did want to help, Charles knew moving from their location would mean it would take longer for the rest of the section to find them. Plus, they were putting Ezra and his family in danger but they didn't seem to have much choice.

He somehow managed to make it down to the river with Ezra and Georgie's help despite his pain doubling. He now wished he had insisted on 2 Section carrying him out the jungle despite the risks. If he could make it this far then he could have got back to base with the help of the whole section.

They were already on the boat when Ezra told them he was taking them to his village and Charles knew he should have refused but he just didn't have the energy. He was floating on the edge of consciousness as he led back, supported by Georgie, torn between wanting to stay alert and wanting to close his eyes in case he got a glimpse of his little girl again.

By the time they had made it to the small hut where Ezra lived, Charles knew they had without a doubt made the wrong choice. No one in the village was happy they were there and it was almost dark, meaning they would have stopped looking for them.

"What do you think, Boss?" Georgie questioned after asking Ezra for some water. "Will they be here soon?"

"They should be out looking for us at the first light…" He answered activing the tracker.

"First light?"

"The jungle is too dangerous in the dark…" He explained, frowning slightly when she shoved a thermometer in his mouth. "Taking my temperature again?"

"Just to shut you up…" She replied, pausing before adding. "Sir…"

Charles resisted rolling his eyes, he knew she still wasn't over what happened with the Brig. Despite all that, he didn't miss a look of concern cross her face when she saw the reading.

"How long until my leg gets infected?" He asked.

"It's alright…" She said lightly.

"Georgie." He said firmer. "How long?"

Again, she paused obviously wondering what the best answer was. "You'll be okay until tomorrow."

They were interrupted by Ezra's mother returning with food and Charles led his head back down onto the ground as Georgie started to ask questions about why the older woman was limping.

He knew she was probably trying to be positive and not worry him but he wasn't naive. He knew it was likely he would lose his leg without hospital treatment very soon and that was if the infection didn't kill him. He screwed his eyes shut tightly and took a deep breath. He knew he couldn't start thinking about that…that he had to keep fighting despite how tired he felt and the growing, burning pain.

He forced himself to sit up a little to watch Georgie treating Ezra's mother. "How is she, Lane?"

"She's going to be fine…" She answered. "Why? Are you going to put it in your after action report."

This time he did roll his eyes, knowing it was bound to come out at some point. "I tried to give an accurate report…"

"Too involved?" She spun around to face him. "It's our job to get involved…"

"Yeah and we all know what happens when you cross the line…"

"Yeah like you and Zemar…." Georgie shot back. "You put your life in danger, ignored all the rules and orders given except you got a medal and a promotion for it…"

"You think I wanted that? Praised for doing something I did out of…." He trailed off, pausing for a moment before continuing. "I know what I did was dangerous, alright? That not only was I risking my life but I knew the damage it would do to the rest of you standing back and watching…The section, my best friend…but worse of all I made that choice knowing it would tear my family apart…that my son would grow up without a father and Molly….all the regrets I have…"

Georgie stayed silent when he stopped again, watching him curiously. She had never seen him like this before and wondered whether it was fever was causing him to be so self-conscious.

"You guys just see me as the Bossman… captain…major…whatever…" He whispered, now lost in his thoughts. "But sometimes, I think you forget that I'm human too…"

Georgie felt a pang of guilt; knowing there was some truth in that. She knew the section thought the world of him and he always seemed so strong and dependable. She turned back to Ezra's mum, not knowing how to reply to that, especially with two strangers watching them.

"Got it." She forced a grin as she was finally able to dig out whatever was causing the pain.

When the other woman gave her a small smile, she was pleased she had been able to help her. She started to dress the wound, glancing over her shoulder once more and saw Charles had led back down. She had been concerned about him in Afghanistan but had easily believed Elvis when he told her there was nothing to worry about. Even when she had tried to dig for some information about why he hadn't returned to 2 Section after their last tour, Elvis just kept changing the subject. Now Georgie couldn't help but wonder what was going on with her old CO and just what the regrets he had.

When they fled the village, Charles had almost ordered Georgie to leave him there. The pain was just too much and he wasn't sure how much more he could take. Then they had to endure the rest of the night, listening to the screams as the village came under attack, knowing it was because of them.

By the time they had found the cave to hide out in, he was ready to give up. The pain had become unbearable and he was finding it harder and harder to stay awake. He kept seeing the image of a little girl in a white dress, playing around them and desperately wanted to follow her.

Feeling someone touch his face, his eyes shot open as he sat up and reached out. "Sarah…"

Georgie blinked at him in confusion. "No, Boss….it's just me…"

"Where'd she go?" He looked around, his eyes glazed.

"There's no one else here, boss." Georgie told him softly.

He slumped back down to the ground with a quiet groan.

"You need to drink…"

"Leave me alone…" He pushed her away. "Just go."

"That's not going to happen." She said firmly. "You're stuck with me, Charlie…"

"I can't…." He shook his head slightly. "I don't want to do this anymore…"

"Well, you ain't got any choice…We're going to that airfield and I'm getting you to a hospital so you can go home to your family…"

"I shouldn't be here…Should have left the army when I had the chance…"

"You want to leave the army?" She asked in surprise, raising the bottle to his lips again and was pleased when he took a sip.

"I can't do it any more…I can't cope."

"Maybe you need some help….speak to someone…" Georgie suggested. "The army can help, boss!"

Charles shook his head slightly and closed his eyes once again, easily and willingly slipped back to sleep.

 _He watched with a smile as Sarah collected leaves and twigs from the jungle floor, skipping along but kept looking back to make sure he was following her and smiling when she saw he was. He carried on walking despite the pain spreading all over his body now._

 _When he caught up with her, she sat down on the ground and began to build some kind of nest out of her collection. He looked around and spotted some pink flowers growing from under a tree. After picking them, he re-joined Sarah and sat on the ground opposite her, holding them out to her._

 _She grinned widely and took them, carefully placing the stems through the twigs so they stood up out of the top. He couldn't take his eyes off her, she was just perfect with her mother's eyes and smile; her little tongue poking out as she concentrated._

He tried to sit up again but his body failed to move. "Sarah?!"

"Still just me, I'm afraid, boss." Georgie answered gently.

He groaned both in pain from his injuries and heartbreak from the dream. "I'm going to lose her again…"

"Here…drink some more water." Georgie offered.

Although there was a big part of her that wanted to ask him who Sarah was, she didn't. She knew he was delirious and probably wouldn't remember much of what happened. It wouldn't be fair to him to start asking questions, despite being a Major she also considered him a friend.

"I messed everything up…."

"I'm sure that's not true, Boss." She tried to reassure him. "And I bet whatever has happened, you can fix it."

He shook his head. "No, it's too late…I've lost her…"

"Who, Boss?" She couldn't resist asking but he fell silent and when she looked down she saw his eyes were closed again.

She checked his leg and placed the thermometer in his mouth but knew it was pointless…she knew he had a raging temperature without it. She was very aware they were running out of time to get him the help that he urgently needed.

 **XxXxX**

Georgie was so thankful they had come across Ezra when they did. Not only had he helped keep them hidden and saved them when they had been found by the bandits but he had also made them a makeshift stretcher. She had been impressed Charles had managed to drag himself along with their help this far but knew he now wouldn't have the strength to go any further.

She had felt like crying when they reached the abandoned airfield. Now they just had to wait out and pray Charles had been right about them figuring out where to find them.

"We're here, boss…" Georgie brushed his hair back from his forehead. "We made it…"

"You got us here…" He mumbled, breathlessly.

"No, you did! It was your plan!" Georgie insisted. "And they're going to find us and then you'll be able to get back home to your family…."

"I don't think that's going to happen…" He sounded defeated as he struggled to focus on her but then his eyes were drawn to a figure stood in the entrance of the building…. A little girl in a white dress…he so wanted to get up and follow her as the pain he felt started to fade.

"No…" Georgie said tearfully, cupping his face to try and get his attention again but then she felt his whole body go limp and his head fell to the side. "No! Boss!"

She glanced up when she heard the sound of a helicopter approaching. "You hear that!? They've found us!"

"Hey!" Ezra run out excited.

"Ezra, no!" Georgie shouted.

"They're here!" He danced around, waving. "They're here with me!"

Georgie jumped up when shots were fired and raced towards Ezra. She ignored the calls for her to get down and continued to make her way towards the young man, keeping low. She knew when she reached him it was too late. They had all made it this far, it wasn't fair for him to die after everything he had done to help them.

"How many times do I have to save your life, Lane!?" Bones asked as he stood over them. "Well, you're going to have to be a fucking good medic to bring him back."

Georgie wanted to scream, stand up and punch him but she somehow resisted. "Major James needs to be medevacked out right now!"

She didn't wait for a reply and instead headed back inside the building, pleased to see Kingy was there.

"He's really bad, Kingy…" She whispered, tearfully.

"Help is on the way, Boss." Kingy knelt down and continued despite Charles being unresponsive. "Just hold on for a little longer."

 _Charles was back stood in the middle of the jungle. He was no longer in any pain and when he felt someone squeeze his hand, he saw Sarah smiling up at him. He frowned when she let go of his hand and started to walk away. He wanted to follow but he could not get his legs to move. Just before she was out of sight, she turned back and gave him a little wave before skipping off again._

He opened his eyes and found himself being loaded onto a helicopter. He could see Georgie stood with Kingy, watching him and he was relieved that she was safe now. The helicopter lifted off and just as the people on the ground were getting smaller, he spotted a white figure amongst the khaki green.

A small smile crossed his face….he had no idea what would happen to him next. He might lose his leg. He may never be fit enough to stay in the army. He wasn't even sure he wanted to stay in.

The thing he did know, even if it was a dream, he had seen his daughter and she was beautiful and happy.

 **TBC**

 **Think we're going to have to catch up with Molly and Elvis next! Please review and let me know what you think!**

 **Stay safe!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi! Hope you're all well and staying safe! Sorry it's taken a while to update! Thanks for everyone has reviewed the last chapter!**

 **What did you all think of the latest series? Aside from the fact, I missed CJ and was distracted by them barely mentioning him…I enjoyed it, although thought the ending was a little anti-climax. Liked the new characters, apart from Cheese who seemed pointless and poor Fingers ! That was really well done and I was crying like a baby! Also, thought it was slightly annoying that they sorta paired Georgie up with Prof at the end…Give the girl a break! I think I would have enjoyed it more if this happened after series 3 and Series 4 never happened. Think it would have flowed better.**

 **Anyway, on to the story!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Old Friends and Hard Times.**

Elvis was leaning back against a wall at Bath spa's train station, staring down at his phone in hope that it might start ringing or that he would get a text message with an update.

After Charles had called him at 2am the previous morning, he had struggled to get back to sleep. He had wanted to get up early to make sure to pass on his mate's message to Molly. He was used to getting by on little sleep and thought if needed then he could get an early night.

Then he had got a phone call that stopped his whole world. The woman he loved and his best friend was lost somewhere in the Belize jungle. All that they knew was Charles was seriously injured and that neither he nor Georgie was where 2 Section had left them.

They had been missing for almost 21 hours and Elvis knew that Special Forces would now be out searching for them. One thing he was grateful for was that it was his team assigned and even though he wished it was him leading them, at least Spanner and Peanut was keeping him informed of any updates.

"Elvis?"

He looked up and saw Georgie's parents rushing towards him; the fear they were feeling clearly showing on their faces. Grace immediately hugged him which reassured him slightly. The last time he had seen them was at Brize Norton when he gone to meet Charles and he knew that they still wasn't too pleased with Georgie dating him again.

"She'll be okay, you know…" Elvis said softly, hugging her back and glancing at Max. "She knows what she's doing and Charlie won't let anything happen to her."

"Yeah, she's strong…" Max added placing a hand on his wife's shoulder when he heard a sob escape her and had to hold back his own. "She'll be okay…."

Grace pulled away from Elvis and wiped her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it." Elvis gave her a small smile and reached to take her bag. "Come on, let's see if we can find a taxi."

"It was nice of the James to offer us to come down." Grace stated as they followed him towards the exit.

Louisa and Henry James treated Elvis like a second son so they had met Grace and Max several times when Georgie and he had been engaged. They knew how worried they would be about their daughter and invited them to wait for news with them. Although the army had promised to keep the Lanes up to date with any developments, with Henry being a recently retired Brigadier and Elvis' connections they knew they'd hear news sooner than if they stayed in Manchester.

"I think they want to keep busy…" Elvis explained, glancing at his phone again.

"And Captain James won't mind?" Max questioned. "I mean, Georgie is one of his soldiers…"

"He's a Major now and he's technically not in charge of Georgie's platoon anymore." Elvis answered. "Besides, he thinks of her as a friend too."

"He was so kind to her after what happened in Kenya…" Grace added. "Now she's missing again…"

"Hey, she got through that and she'll get through this." Max took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

Elvis was relieved they were quickly able to find a taxi. He wanted to get to the James' and see if there had been any updates. He had no doubt that if anyone could survive in the jungle then it would be Charles and Georgie but he also knew they'd be running out of time with Charles' injury. By now, he'd be extremely lucky to get away with months of rehab but there was also a good chance he would lose the leg altogether or even worse…Elvis refused to think about what would happen to him if they didn't find them soon.

At least the last reports from 2 Section were that Georgie wasn't injured and he prayed that was still true. He could take a guess that Charles would at some point suggest she leave him and go ahead to find help but also knew that she would outright refuse. He knew more than anyone that Georgie had trained for this kind of thing and was strong enough to handle it but it still didn't stop him from wanting to jump on the first plane out and searching for them himself.

Just as they reached Royal Crescent, the heavens opened and there was a heavy down pour of rain. Fortunately, Louisa James had spotted the taxi pulling up and had the door open for them to rush into the dry.

As Louisa fussed over Grace and Max, offering towels and cups of tea, Elvis shot off a quick text message to Peanut asking for any news.

"Elvis?"

He looked up at the sound of his name being called to see he was the only one left in the hallway and Louisa was in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Sorry, Mrs J…I was miles away."

"I was just asking if you would like a cup of tea or coffee."

"A coffee would be great…" He ran a hand over his face. "I'll just take these bags up…"

"I've made up the guest room on the second floor for Grace and Max." She told him. "And I've put you in your normal room."

"You're a star." He grinned at her before reaching down to grab the bags.

He was halfway up the stairs when his phone beeped, causing him to run up the rest of the way and dumping the bags down in the guest room before pulling it out of his pocket. His heartbeat increased when he saw it was Peanut replying to his message.

' _We've found the Major's tracker.'_

Elvis stared at it for a moment, waiting for more information to come through but when nothing followed, he cursed quietly. It must have meant they found the tracker but not Charles and Georgie. It would also mean they would have no idea where to look for them now either.

He made his way back downstairs and decided he would hold off telling the others; there was no use in panicking them even more. He went into the kitchen first and found Louisa still making everyone's hot drink.

"Need a hand?" He offered softly.

She jumped a little at the sound of his voice and he saw her quickly wipe tears from her eyes. "I'm almost done but there are some nice biscuits on the top shelf of the cupboard if you can them down for me."

"Of course…" He replied and put an arm around her shoulders, to give her a quick hug. "He'll be fine."

She smiled up at him, still with tears in her eyes. "Oh, I know… My boy is strong."

"The strongest…" Elvis gave her another squeeze before opening the cupboard in search for the biscuits….one thing he learnt long ago was that Mrs J always had the best selection of biscuits. "Where's Molly? I thought she was staying with you guys?"

"She is…" Louisa sighed quietly. "She's just gone for a walk."

Elvis looked towards the window to see it was still raining heavily. "She's out in this?"

"She wanted a bit of time on her own…" She added. "I think she went to the cemetery."

Elvis frowned, he knew both Charles and Molly found some comfort in visiting their daughter's grave and it helped with their grieving but he wasn't sure whether it was a good idea for Molly to be there alone at a time like this.

"Maybe I should go find her…"

"Give her 30 more minutes and I'm sure she'll be back." This time it was Louisa who patted his arm comfortingly. "She's finding it hard…I mean we all are but after everything they've been through already this year…"

"Okay, we'll give her a bit more time." Elvis agreed but was aware that his best friend would kill him if he let anything happen to Molly.

"Right, let's get these drinks sorted…" Louisa started to load cups onto a tray. "They'll start thinking I'm a terrible hostess."

"Not possible…you're the best." Elvis told her fondly before taking the tray from her to carry in.

"Oh you…you're just after extra biscuits."

Elvis let out a laugh. "You know me too well, Mrs J."

Louisa had been right and Molly returned before they had finished their drinks. Her clothes were soaking wet and Elvis could see the fear in her eyes from where he sat.

"Any news?" She asked, although she was dreading the answer.

"None yet…" Louisa answered, getting to her feet and walking over to her daughter-in-law.

Molly immediately looked towards Henry. "Nothing?"

"Just that a Special Forces team are out looking for them as we speak." Henry answered.

"It's Spanner and Peanut…" Elvis added, hoping it would make Molly feel better knowing who it was. "And a guy called McClyde… Charles and I were at Sandhurst with him…he's a bit of an asshole but he's good at his job…really good….so, I'm sure they'll find them soon."

"Have they told you anything?" Molly questioned him. "I mean, you must be able to get some updates from them?"

"Nothing important…"

"Elvis, what is it?"

"Charlie had a tracker…" He admitted after a few seconds. "They've been following the signal and managed to trace it…so, now they're searching the area where they found it."

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Grace asked. "They must be close by…"

"Why wouldn't Charles keep hold of it?" Molly queried.

"I don't know, Moll but at least they know where to start looking…"

"There could be plenty of reason why…" Henry added. "But I'm sure they couldn't have gotten far…"

Elvis shared a look with his best friend's Dad and could tell there was something the older man wasn't saying.

"Why don't I run you a hot bath?" Louisa suggested. "You need to get out of those wet close and hopefully soon we'll have some more information."

"You'll come get me if you hear anything?" Molly looked at Elvis.

"Of course." Elvis nodded before she reluctantly allowed Louisa to guide her upstairs.

"I think I'll go make her a cup of tea…" Henry announced getting to his feet.

"Elvis, this is good news, isn't it?" Grace asked once he had left the room.

"Any development is good….Like I said, they'll have an idea where to look now." Elvis replied glancing in the direction Henry had gone. "Uh, would you excuse me a moment?"

When he entered the kitchen, he wasn't surprised to see Henry looking at something on his phone.

"Any updates?"

The older man shook his head sadly. "I was hoping since they found the tracker, we'd hear something soon but it's been a couple of hours now…"

"What you thinking?" Elvis asked. "I mean, I know what you said in there about them not going far from where the tracker was found but do you really think that?"

Henry sighed. "We don't even know if it was them who left the tracker there…Someone could have found it in the jungle…or taken it from them and took it there…"

"Is that a possibility?" Elvis asked, knowing Henry had good contacts within the army. "Is that's what they're thinking? They've been captured?"

"Yes, it's a possibility but I think we should keep that between us." He suggested. "But it is only a possibility…I think they were there."

"Okay, so why would they leave before support arrived if it was Charles who activated the tracker?" Elvis wondered.

"Maybe they had to leave?" Henry shrugged. "Special Forces found the tracker in a hut, in a small village down the river from where the rest of the section left them…From what we've been told about Charles' injury there is no way he could have made it there by himself and I'm sure Georgie wouldn't have been able to move him that quickly alone…"

"So, you do think they've beeen captured?"

"Or being helped by someone…someone who lives in that village..." Henry answered. "When Special Forces got there, the village had been attacked during the night which might be because someone had seen them there."

"Okay, so where are they now?"

"I don't know but I just hope they left that village on their own…" Henry turned this back to Elvis and leaned against the counter. "I wish more than anything that I hadn't retired now…I wish I could get out there and help."

"They'll find them." Elvis assured him. "Charlie will know what to do to get them out of there…"

"And what if he can't? What if his leg is too bad?"

"Well, he's got a kick ass medic with him who will make sure he can."

Henry turned back around and gave him a small smile. "You need to sort thing out with that girl, Elvis… make things right…you belong together."

Elvis jokingly rolled his eyes. "Alright, you don't need to tell me…I'm trying."

"Well, when they get back…make sure you try harder."

This time it was Elvis who smiled and nodded. "Yes, Sir."

 _ **XxXxX**_

Elvis knocked lightly on the bedroom door and waited a few seconds but pushed it open slowly when he got no reply.

"Molly?" He called softly, poking his head around the door first and saw her sat on the bed in pyjama bottom and a vest top. In her hands was one of Charles' hoodies…the same one she had been wearing when he went to see her in London.

"Have they found them?" She looked up quickly.

"Sorry, nothing yet." He shook his head, feeling guilty for not having better news. "I brought you a cuppa."

Molly let the hoodie fall onto her lap as she pushed her wet hair back out of her face. She didn't say anything and instead took a couple of deep shaky breaths to try and keep her emotions under control.

"I stole some of Mrs. J's biscuits for you too." Elvis added, stepping into the room fully.

She tried to give him a smile to show her appreciation but couldn't quite manage it. She suddenly got to her feet, gripping onto the hoodie tightly as she tried to distract her own mind.

"Here…" Elvis set the mug of tea and a small plate of biscuits on the dresser. "I'll leave and give you some space…"

"You don't have to go…" She told him, turning back to face him. "But…I don't know if I can talk…don't know what to say."

Elvis hovered in the doorway for a second before moving back into the room. "Me neither…"

She sat back down on the bed, staring ahead. "They've been out there too long…"

"I'm sure they're just keeping low…making sure they stay away from the bandits…"

"Elvis." She cut in, giving him a look. "I know you're trying to make me and everyone feel better but I know how this works…and your special forces so I know you do too…more than anyone… Do you really believe everything is going to be fine? After all this time?"

"I have too…" He finally said after pausing for a moment to think about her question. "Because to think anything else…to think that things might not turn out okay… I just can't."

Molly looked back down, feeling a lump in her throat. She wished she could stay as positive as him but over the last few years, she had learnt how cruel life could be.

"I can tell you what I would do if I was them, though…" Elvis added, sitting down next to her. "I would try and head for somewhere where I could get a message back to base…"

"You think there is somewhere like that in the middle of the jungle?"

"We know they've moved from the point where 2 Section left them…I can only imagine that was because where they were wasn't safe but Charlie's tracker was found quite a distance away…Neither he nor Georgie are the type to wonder around aimlessly…" Elvis shrugged. "We both know that Charlie would have looked at the maps before going on that exercise…he would plan for something like this…he'd have a plan A, B and C…"

This time Molly did smile. "Stay focus…stay alert…stay alive."

"Exactly." Elvis grinned. "And Georgie is like you…she'll make it her mission to get him out of there safely….He won't have any choice in it…she'll refuse to let him be nothing but okay…She won't let us down…She won't let _him_ down."

She took a deep breath again and nodded. "You're right."

"So, that's what I think they're doing….moving towards a safe place and trying to avoid the bandits." Elvis stated. "They'll be back before dinner time."

"I bet you wished you hadn't taken that secondment now…It would be you out there looking for them…" Molly stood up and picked up the mug of tea he had brought her.

"I think we all wish we could be there helping." Elvis replied. "But it's probably a good thing…The Brig knows about me and Georgie...He wouldn't have let me be part of the rescue mission even if my team had been assigned…"

"He knows?" She sipped her tea. "I thought you guys weren't that serious yet…"

"Well, I wanted to prove I am serious about her and wanted to do things right this time." Elvis told her. "I thought Charlie was mad when he came clean to the Brig about your relationship straight away but it actually worked out…so I thought it would be a good idea to do the same."

"I nearly had a heart attack when he told me what he had done." Molly thought back to a few years ago when he had phoned her to let her know he had been clear with his CO about his feelings. "But in the end, it was the right thing to do…it all worked out well."

"Yeah, well it completely backfired on me…"

"What do you mean?" Molly asked, frowning a little. "Elvis?"

He sighed, feeling incredibly guilty and had no idea how she was going to react.

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Molly continued when he still didn't say anything. "I mean, I know you and Georgie have worked together before but you've never been part of the same section…"

"No but the Brig wasn't too happy about not knowing before we were assigned to support 2 Section in Afghan..." He sighed. "He was investigating whether or not either of us was distracted…"

"I'm sorry but he must have known about yours and Georgie's history…I think the whole bleedin army does…"

"Yeah, thanks for that, Moll…" He rolled his eyes.

"Just saying…" She shrugged. "I'm sure it'll be forgotten about now anyway…"

"It's why he called Charlie out to Belize."

"What?"

"The Brig's investigation…it's why Charlie is in Belize because he wanted to question him about Georgie and me." Elvis admitted and Molly just stared at him. "I'm sorry…If it wasn't for me then Charlie wouldn't even be out there…"

Molly thought about what she had just been told and although there was a part of her that wanted to find someone to blame…someone to be angry at, she knew it wasn't Elvis' fault. Besides, she owed him for more than she could ever say…She really didn't know what would have happened if he hadn't stepped in and turned up at her parents' flat.

"The Brig would have got him out there for some other reason anyway." Molly told him softly. "Like I said, everyone knew about you and Georgie's history …he was just using that as an excuse."

Elvis frowned. "Why would he do that?"

"Because Charles has talked about quitting… or at the least wants to give up going on tours for a while." Molly explained. "You know what the Brigadier is like…He probably wanted Charles to go on the exercise so he could see what he would be giving up."

"Is he serious? About leaving the army?"

"I don't know…I think he thinks it's the right thing to do after everything that has happened but I really don't know what he would be if he didn't have the army."

"With everything that has happened, I can understand him re-evaluating everything…I know his priorities are you and Sam but I'm sure his promotion will help… Give him something new to focus on and he'll be able to stay at home for longer periods of time…"

"I hope so…I really don't want him to give up what he loves because he thinks it's what I want." She sat back down beside him.

"How about once he gets home we'll double team him…" He suggested jokingly. "Make sure he doesn't go do something stupid like trying to resign his commission again."

"Might gonna have to take you up on that…" She replied with a little laugh but then it was followed by a sob.

"Hey…" He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I just want him back…" She cried quietly. "I need him back…"

"I know." Elvis whispered, pulling her closer to him and kissed the top of her head. "And we will…We'll get them both back."

 _ **XxXxX**_

It was a couple of hours later and there still hadn't been any news. Molly tried to keep busy because she thought she'd go insane otherwise so had decided to make dinner for everyone. It wasn't anything fancy, just some chicken pasta with salad and although no one was really hungry, they ate anyway. All of them just wanted something to take their mind off the lack of information.

They were just finishing when Elvis' mobile beeped with a new message. Everyone turned and watched him as he read it.

"Elvis?" Max questioned. "What is it? Is it some news? Have they found them?"

"No… well, not really…" He didn't want to get anyone's hopes up yet. "Just Peanut saying they're going to head for an abandoned airfield…"

"Why?" Grace asked. "Do they think that's where they are?"

"If it's on a map then that might be where they head for." Molly shared a look with Elvis. "Charles would have study the maps…he would know they need to get somewhere safe to make contact."

"It's what I would do." Elvis shrugged.

"Me too." Henry added.

"Okay, so this is good then?" Louisa questioned.

"We need to remember, we don't know all the facts…" Henry cautioned. "It might still be a while before we hear something."

"But it is something." Molly had to hold onto some hope and then began picking up the plates from the table. "I'm going to get this all cleaned up…"

"I'll help." Grace offered.

"You don't have…" Molly started to say but Louisa placed a hand on her arm to stop her.

"Come on, we'll help and get it done quicker."

There was a part of Molly that wanted to be alone but she couldn't refuse the other women's help. So, as Molly washed all the pots and pans, Louisa and Grace filled the dishwasher. They filled the silence by chatting but even though Molly didn't join in, she had noticed that neither of the older women mentioned Charles or Georgie. Molly then moved onto scrubbing the kitchen counters which seemed a little pointless Louisa spent a lot of time keeping the whole house clean and tidy but she did it anyway.

She was just debating whether her mother-in-law would be offended if she started pulling things out of the kitchen cabinets to clean when Elvis entered the kitchen.

"What?" Molly asked, knowing instantly he had news. "What is it?"

"Elvis?" Grace questioned, taking a step towards him.

"They've found them…"

Molly had to grip on the counter to stay upright and her eyes widened. There where gasps from the other women but Molly's relief was very short lived when she realized Elvis didn't look like someone who had been told his girlfriend and best friend was safe.

"But?" She prompted.

"That's all I know at the moment…" He added. "Peanut just texted me to say the team had located them and that they requested an urgent medevac."

"But this is good isn't it?" Grace looked between them all.

"Of course it's good news." Elvis forced a smiled. "Just we might have to wait a little longer to find out how they're doing…"

"They've gotten this far….They've travelled through the jungle for hours…They'll be okay." Louisa added positively.

"You're right." Elvis agreed but only glanced at her before looking back to Molly. "The main thing is they've found them."

It was on the tip of Molly's tongue to ask if they've both been found alive but she didn't, mostly out of fear of what the answer would be.

Another hour had passed and they still hadn't heard any more. Both Elvis and Henry had disappeared into the study to try and find out some information from their contacts while the rest of them waited in the living room. Molly found it hard to sit still and was desperate to get up and do something but she was worried she would miss any updates.

When she suddenly got to her feet, the others all looked at her questionably.

"Molly? What is it, love?" Louisa asked in concern.

"I can't sit here anymore…" She stated. "I can't take it…I can't do it…"

"Sweetheart…" Louisa stood up and tried to put her arms around her daughter-in-law but Molly stepped back.

"I need to know…" She couldn't stop the sob from escaping her. "But I can't lose him…I just can't…I can't…"

Louisa's own eyes filled with tears; all this time she had tried to stay positive and listen to her husband when he had said the army would stop at nothing to find their son. Over the years, she had gotten good at keeping the fear at bay about her only child being sent off to some of the most dangerous places in the world but once again she found herself waiting in limbo after finding out he had been injured.

"They've got them." Henry announced entering the room with Elvis following him. "We just had it officially confirmed."

"Oh thank god!" Max breathed out in relief.

"How are they?" Grace questioned. "Georgie? She is okay, isn't she?"

"She's fine…" Elvis answered softly, giving her a shaky smile as he ran a hand through his hair. "She's a bit dehydrated, hungry and bloody knackered but she's been checked by the medic and given the all clear to return to her section….I'm sure once she's done a debrief, some food and probably a shower, she'll give you a call herself."

"Oh that's so good to hear!"

"What about Charles?" Molly dreaded hearing the answer but knew she needed to know.

"His leg is not in a good way and he has a pretty bad infection." Henry said, stepping forward and taking hold of his wife's hand. "They've taken him to Belmopan hospital and…he…um…they've had to sedate him and said he's critical…"

Molly opened her mouth to ask more questions but found no words came out. Instead her legs went out from under her and she fell back down into the armchair she had been sat in.

"Oh no…" Louisa gasped; her spare hand covered her mouth.

Elvis crossed the room and knelt down in front of Molly. "They're gonna take care of him, okay…He's safe now and once they've gotten some fluids and antibiotics in him he'll be stable enough to come home."

Molly looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "But what if he doesn't? What if he doesn't get better? He's out there alone..."

"We'll get him home!" Elvis cut in, squeezing her hands tightly. "Remember how strong he is…He's gotten this far, now he's gonna have all them medical people taking care of him…"

"But it should be me." She cried. "I should be looking after him…I should be there with him…"

"Molls…"

"I can't do it again, Elvis…" Her head shook from side to side. "I can't lose anyone else…I can't lose him…I'll never get through it!"

Elvis immediately pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, not knowing what else to do. He had been elated when they got the news that Georgie was okay. He had been terrified he was going to lose her when he finally had been given a second chance. He had been so happy and vowed he wasn't going to take what they had for granted. He was going to work hard to make sure she knew just how much she meant to him.

Except, it didn't feel right to be relieved or happy when his best friend's life was still on the line. He had hoped that when they were found, it was going to be the end of it but after everything they had been through all already, Charles was fighting for his life, Molly might lose her husband and Sam might lose his Dad.

 _ **XxXxX**_

"Have they said when they can fly him back?" Georgie asked Elvis over the phone.

It had been over 24hours now since they had been rescued and despite a long sleep she still felt exhausted.

"They want him a bit more stable first… They wanted to get back to the UK before doing any surgery but they might have to go ahead and do it out there." Elvis explained. "Molly's out of her mind…"

"I bet…"

"Charlie's Dad is looking into them going out there but they'll be risking him being flown back at the same time so holding off at the moment."

"But sounds like he is doing better if they're reducing the sedatives…." Georgie said hopefully.

"Yeah but I guess everyone would feel better if he was here and we could see for ourselves." Elvis answered. "But anyway, I was calling to see how you're doing?"

"Better now I've had some sleep and a shower."

"God, Georgie…its bad enough now but I can't imagine what it would have been like if you weren't okay too." He whispered. "Thank god, you were able to get you both to that airfield."

"Well, Ezra helped…" Georgie felt a stab of guilt and sadness for the young man who had just wanted to help them. "And the boss….he pretty much dragged himself most of the way…It was his idea to go there but I have no idea how they knew to look for us there."

"Bones found an airplane symbol drawn in the dirt in some cave…took a chance it was you guys who left it."

"Must have been the boss..." Georgie thought back to the hours they spent in that cave. She had thought Charles had given up by then but in fact it was down to him that they were found.

"How is Bones?"

"Saying not happy would be an understatement." Georgie answered dryly.

"Yeah, well he should have kept his mouth shut….As for Murphy, he better get what's coming to him."

"He made a mistake…"

"Yeah, a mistake that ended up nearly getting the two of you killed during a training exercise…" Elvis shot back. "He put his pride first and was trying to show off to the Brig…From what I've heard they shouldn't have been in that area in the first place but to also leave the two of you behind…."

Captain Murphy had been sent back to the UK pending an investigation into how he handled the situation which was why the Brigadier needed to find a new CO for 2 Section. As much as Elvis felt sorry for them that they had got stuck with Bones, he also couldn't help but find it a little funny too.

"Elvis…" Georgie cut in.

"What?"

She hesitated but then forced herself to continue. She couldn't not tell him the truth. "It was my suggestion…"

"What was?"

"That they all go back and I stay with the boss…It was too risky to move him and I thought we'd be okay there until the medevac arrived." She admitted. "But then carrying him out would have been a lot safer then dragging him around the jungle for 2 days…."

"The difference is, Georgie you're a medic and he's a Commanding officer." Elvis already knew that Captain Murphy had left them on her advice. "You assessed from a medic's point of view and he should have assessed from a Captain's view… He should have at least listened to Kingy and left some of the section behind for security."

"I guess…"

"Look, I need to go but I'll try and call you later…"

"Alright…and you'll let me know any news on the boss?"

"Of course…"

"Elvis?"

"Yeah?"

"What we talked about in Afghan about him?" Georgie started. "He is okay, isn't he?"

"Who? Charlie?"

"Yeah, I mean …I know he's not now because of what happened but he said some stuff while we were out there…"

"What stuff?"

Georgie paused, instantly recognising that Elvis was already sounding defensive. "Just about him not being sure about the army and that…"

"Probably cos of what had happened and how it was gonna affect Molly and Sam…"

"Maybe…" Georgie chewed on her bottom lip. "And him and Molly? They okay?"

"Of course they are…" Again, he said defensively. "Why wouldn't they be?"

"I don't know… I'm just asking…" Georgie shot back. "I'm just worried, that's all."

"Well, there's nothing to worry about." Elvis stated. "They're fine…or they will be once he's back in the UK."

"Yeah…."

"I really need to go…"

"Okay, talk to you later…"

Just as she hung up the phone Maisy walked into the sleeping quarters and threw herself onto her bunk. "Urgh, he gonna kill us, isn't he?"

"Who?"

"Bones…" She groaned. "I don't think I can feel my legs."

"Just do your best and stay out of trouble and you'll be fine." Georgie advised.

Maisy sat up a little to look at her. "You alright?"

"Yeah, fine…" She answered quickly before sighing. "Just been talking to Elvis."

"Did he say how the boss was?"

"They're still wanting for him to stabilize before moving him back to the UK."

"It's a bit shit, isn't it…I mean, he wasn't even meant to be here." Maisy mused. "Brains says his wife is a right mess back home..."

"Yeah…"

"You sure you're alright?" Maisy asked again when she saw Georgie deep in thought.

"Just…if you knew something about someone…something that might upset a lot of people…Would you keep it to yourself?"

Maisy stared at her for a moment. "The boss is okay, isn't he? He hasn't gone and died or something and they're keeping it from us…?"

"No, of course not…" Georgie rolled her eyes.

"Well, what is it then?"

She sighed and rubbed her face with one hand. "Molly's a mate….she was a really good friend after all the crap with Elvis the first time and then after I ended things with Jamie…"

"Molly, as in the boss' wife?"

"Yeah…" Georgie nodded. "And I'd hate to see her get hurt…"

"By who? The Bossman?" Maisy let out a laugh. "I don't know her but others say they're inseparable…. Solid as a rock."

"But they wasn't…not when we were in Afghan…We all know there was something off with the boss and then Molly wasn't there to meet him when we got back…"

"Because she was running late…."

"Nah, there's something else." Georgie shook her head. "He was calling out for someone else…"

"What?"

"The boss…when we were out in the jungle…He had a fever and kept slipping into unconsciousness but when he came too again, he kept calling out for someone who wasn't his wife…"

"Well, that don't mean anything…" Maisy shrugged. "Might have been some other family member…his kid or sister or something…?"

Georgie shook her head. "I know his family…and he is an only child…"

"So, what? You think he's having an affair?" Maisy questioned.

"He kept talking about regrets and letting Molly down…"

"I don't know, Georgie….something don't seem right…" Maisy replied. "He don't seem the type and Fingers and Brains reckon him and his missus are the real deal…"

"Yeah, I used to think that too…" Georgie sighed quietly.

"Look, if it is true, maybe she already knows…you said there was something off when we were in afghan…"

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

"And I can't believe it's me saying this to you but maybe you should take your own advice." She continued. "Just stay out of trouble… I mean, getting involved in a Major's marriage don't seem like a clever idea to me…even if she is your mate."

"You might have a point…"

"Right, I'm gonna go find some food…" Maisy got to her feet. "You coming?"

"Yeah…I'll be there in a bit." Georgie nodded. "Maisy? Don't say anything to anyone about this…?"

"My lips are sealed…"

Once she was alone again, she considered ringing Elvis to find out what was going on. She knew he would the truth because if it was true then she knew Charles would confide in him but she also knew Elvis was protective when it came to people he cared about and Charles was his best friend. If she did try and get involved then it might mess things up between her and Elvis and they were in a good place at the moment.

She sighed and put her phone back in her pocket. Maybe Maisy was right and she just needed to stay out of it.

 **TBC**

 **And the drama continues! I actually forgot how much I become to like Maisy…shame she wasn't in the latest series. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think!**

 **For anyone who has missed it, I've been giving story challenges in hope it might cheer people up with what's going on. The next one is :**

 **An AU meeting for Charles and Molly….**

 **Can be anything you like…they both could still be in the army….only one of them could be or either of them could…they can be younger, older…same age…Up to you!**

 **Anyone who wants to join in, please go ahead ! I have started one but I'm not sure if I'll post it yet as already have 2 stories on the go!**


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